In my 22 years of working in frontline emergencies, responding to both conflicts and natural disasters, I saw firsthand the importance of principled humanitarian aid.
At the time, I was working for an organization that provided health care and education services to children in displacement camps. Early one morning, as we arrived to open our clinic, a woman approached us, holding an infant—they had been waiting all night for us. The child was hungry and distressed.
The woman explained that they had fled after their homes had been attacked by the Sudanese military and the Janjaweed militias. Civilians like her were attacked because of their ethnicity—a hallmark of this brutal war. The child in her arms was her neighbor’s. She had picked them up after seeing their parent shot as they were fleeing, and sought safety for them, herself, and her children. Health clinic staff immediately stepped in and started providing care.
In this moment, I could feel how meaningful this work really is and what it means to our patients to receive the lifesaving care they need when they needed it most. I remember thinking to myself, in moments of absolute inhumanity, there is humanity and care and it matters.
In my career working in crises and conflicts around the world, I’ve witnessed and worked as part of Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) teams. It has been a moral and professional touchstone for me since I began my career in humanitarian action, and I have carried many of MSF’s principles with me: A commitment to impartial care, the courage to speak out, and the humility to center the dignity of those we serve1. It is a privilege to return to MSF at this critical moment in the world as MSF USA’s newest Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
We are seeing unprecedented attacks on humanitarian work and independent medical care around the world. The humanitarian landscape has changed radically, and providing care will only get harder. But I know we’re ready to face these challenges.
I’ve seen the impact MSF has had on the ground, both as a member of the team and as a collaborating partner.
In 2007, I served as the MSF humanitarian affairs officer in Somalia. We worked across a number of different clinics, but one project in particular stands out. Our team launched a surgical camp for cases of obstetric fistula, a severe childbirth injury caused by prolonged and obstructed labor, creating a hole between the birth canal and the bladder or rectum.
The project took months of work to establish. The plan was to fly the surgical team into Galkayo, in central Somalia, with the team working in a short window of time. The environment was complex and challenging with serious safety concerns as our team faced a number of security incidents. But two months before the surgical team landed, my Somalian colleagues were doing something amazing. They were traveling to some of the most remote communities we could reach, explaining the care we were going to be providing, at no cost to our patients.
Within those few months, my Somalian colleagues identified the women who needed this specialized surgical treatment. They worked to build the trust to convince them to receive the care they required. By the time our surgical team arrived, women and their families from across the region had made the journey to our hospital to get the surgical services and, critically, the support they needed to recover and heal so they could return home and live their fullest lives.
Years after that assignment ended, every time I would prepare to go into a new crisis and document human rights abuses that may have been happening, I always knew I needed to have MSF’s local phone number. Anytime I worked with anybody who experienced trauma and needed care, I was confident that the nearest MSF clinic would be able to provide help. In nearly every country I’ve worked in, regardless of who I was working for, MSF was on the ground, often one of the only other organizations present.
My priority as MSF USA’s CEO is to continue to be a part of our global movement. I want to ensure that we can navigate the complexities here at home in the US so that we can continue delivering lifesaving care across the world. But we can’t do this work without you. Your support makes sure we can be there for our patients even in the face of cuts to humanitarian aid.
It’s this fierce independence that drew me to this role and organization. Our teams aren’t just delivering care in the midst of some of the most challenging humanitarian crises, we are speaking out and refusing to stay silent when we see harm being done to our patients and vulnerable communities. We are prepared to do the hard work—from Gaza to Sudan—and we’re also ready to tell the world about what we’re witnessing firsthand.
I’m deeply inspired by the dedication and empathy of my colleagues. They’re responding to crises around the world, many of which aren’t making the headlines. We are living in a moment when it feels easy to turn away, but every time I look around, I see my colleagues doing the exact opposite. It’s your unwavering support that allows us to be who we are. Thank you.
This year will be challenging, but I’m ready to meet this moment with you by our side.
With deepest gratitude,
Tirana Hassan
Chief Executive Officer, MSF USA
Chief Executive Officer, MSF USA
