2018 Autumn The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) is a United Nations organization with a mandate to protect refugees and seek durable solutions for them. Vol. 30 Scan to read mobile version 2018 Nansen Refugee Award Winner: Dr. Evan Atar Refugee Campaign World Humanitarian Day 03 ─ Why I Am a Humanitarian Worker, A from South Sudan The person symbolizes persons of concern to UNHCR For the last two years I have been working in South Sudan, one of the most dangerous December 2013, a total of 93 aid workers have been killed. 60 humanitarian workers were detained in May; of those, 28 have been released so far. Such news makes my blood run cold — it could easily be me. This is the reality of life as Contents Cover Story As an aid worker, we are always prepared for emergencies — we each have a “run bag” Refugee Campaign packed containing basic items like underwear, a phone charger, a copy of our passport, World Humanitarian Day 03 cash, toothbrush and toothpaste. UNHCR 2018 Nansen Refugee Award Winner 04 us all deeply. But by working together, it can be translated women aid workers were raped in Juba in 2016, the fear grew even more for many Interview With You female colleagues. UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Series ⑦: Most recently, Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees Ben 08 And yet, despite my own fears, I chose to stay in South Sudan for another two years. Kelly T. Clements visited South Sudan. It was inspiring to Korean Religious Leaders 10 Why? In South Sudan I have witnessed both the best and worst of humanity. I have visited UNHCR Korea She sat down with refugees and internally displaced people, and listened to their stories. She applauded their resilience UNHCR Korea News Donor News 12 faces. It makes me realize what is important in life and the many small things we take for + and encouraged them to work together to protect each “I am most happy when I realize that the work that I other. have done has saved somebody from suffering or has Learning about Refugees saved his life.” Dr. Evan Atar Adaha is the 2018 winner But the major reason for extending my tenure here is because of my colleagues, with Rohingya Emergency, 1 Year On 14 of the Nansen Refugee Award. He is honoured for his whom I share each day. There is a tremendous sense of solidarity between us, and we outstanding 20-year commitment in providing medical gave us career advice. She emphasized the importance of services to people of South Sudan who are forced to understand that while we live and work under the threat of danger, our lives are bound flee conflict. © UNHCR/Will Swanson Thank you together. Agreement Form 15 It is shocking and deeply saddening to hear about my fellow humanitarians being held hostage or killed. But it won’t stop Publisher Naveed Hussain With UNHCR Copyright UNHCR Korea Spot the 16 Date of Issue October 2018 and lives. Right now, despite the danger, South Sudan is where I belong. Private Sector Partnership (PSP) Team UNHCR Korea Design Slowalk Scan the QR code for the full story UNHCR Dr. Evan Atar Adaha, 2018 Winner of the Nansen Refugee Award 04 ─ 2018 Winner of the Nansen Refugee Award Alongside Refugee Dr. Atar Dr. Evan Atar Adaha operates on a young Sudanese refugee at Bunj Hospital in Maban County, South Sudan. UNHCR/Will Swanson © a busy day, Dr. Atar sits down to write reports. UNHCR/Will Swanson © UNHCR Dr. Evan Atar Adaha, 2018 Winner of the Nansen Refugee Award 06 2018 UNHCR Korea With You Autumn 07 ─ ─ Dr. Atar with a newborn baby in the maternity ward of Bunj Hospital. Dr. Atar’s team conducts between 15 and 20 Caesarean delivery procedures each week. At the End of the Line, in a Zone 2018 Nansen Refugee Award UNHCR/Will Swanson © the Award in Geneva, Switzerland on October 1, 2018, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi said most of Dr. Atar’s Since gaining independence from Britain and Egypt in 1956, Sudan has were refugees and he had lived through displacement himself. The High racial, religious, and sectarian South Sudan has been an Commissioner added that Dr. Atar embodied “courageous solidarity” with his independent country since 2011, and has undergone civil war, armed refugee that are very scarce in today’s world.” In his and violence for more than 5 years. 2.4 million South Sudanese people have acceptance speech, Dr. Atar said he was “humbled” to receive the become refugees, and 1,800,000 people are internally displaced. In such a award: dangerous and unstable Dr. Atar also had to leave his home and Originally from Torit, in southern South Sudan, Dr. Atar, received a scholarship to study medicine in Khartoum and later in Egypt. In 1997, he moved to Kurmuk, in Sudan’s Blue Nile State, at the heart of a major where for Atar talks with a refugee mother from Sudan and her 12 years, during bombing raids, he ran a basic hospital wounded malnourished son in the centre. civilians as well as from both sides. However, under intense bombing, he UNHCR/Will Swanson © Since 1954, the Nansen Refugee Award has recognized individuals and and his team joined Sudanese across the border to South Sudan. Dr. Atar packed up the hospital in four cars and a tractor. There were no roads during the rainy season as the rivers were and it took him a month to arrive on the other side. prize. The Nansen Refugee Award program is funded in partnership with the Swiss Government, the Norwegian Government, the State Council of the In 2011, when he arrived in Maban’s main town, Bunj, Dr. Atar performed his on a raised table in an theatre that he built inside an abandoned medical centre. He has been running the hospital for 7 years, while working to ensure the hospital to see and teaching nurses and midwives at the same Sudanese refugees are spread out in 4 refugee camps located in Bunj and its Dr. Atar chats with his family on his mobile phone. surrounding areas, where the is tense and as the “When we were in Sudan, it used to take a month for over limited resources such as wood, farming space and grazing land. a letter to get delivered. Now I can do physics and Nevertheless, Dr. Atar and his team have always stayed here in Bunj. chemistry homework with my oldest.” UNHCR/Will Swanson More on Nansen Watch video on © Refugee Award Fridtjof Nansen A Father of Four Heals Bodies and Minds of Refugee Dr. Atar acknowledges that his decision to carry out humanitarian work has been hard on his wife and four children. He sees them only three a year. The family lives in Nairobi and Dr. Atar tries to keep in contact by WhatsApp and email several a week. Dr. Atar does not believe he is doing anything extraordinary. He lives in a weather-beaten canvas tent and keeps a treadle sewing machine on his porch which he uses to make surgical linen. He says he gets his energy from drinking milk. He relaxes on weekends by taking a nap outdoors. He works 24-hour and likes to joke that his colleagues call him a dictator. He spends his day with his As he does his rounds checking on each and every it is clear to anyone that his main source of happiness is not just but with his Dr. Atar prays with To Dr. Atar, the Bunj hospital means hope for life and meaning of life. He does UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, presents the 2018 Nansen South Sudanese refugees. South Sudan is experiencing the world’s third biggest refugee crisis. before they are put under and according to their religion, Refugee Award to Dr. Evan Atar Adaha, a surgeon and medical director at a hospital UNHCR/Diana Diaz recites the Bible or the Koran. you provide, the more people will come.” in north-eastern South Sudan. UNHCR/Mark Henley © © Interview With You: UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Series ⑦: Ben 2018 UNHCR Korea With You Autumn 09 ─ Future for Refugees On his appointment as Goodwill Ambassador UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador for UNHCR, Ben said that he was enormously honored and proud to take on this role. He Series ⑦: then asked for help and support from the public by sharing the stories of refugee families Ben in Guatemala that he met on his recent visit. foreign land. They need our support and #WithRefugees Campaign supporters, refugees and UNHCR encouraging the public to sign a protect refugees and their rights and well-being, Ben has played a key role in several UNHCR expressing solidarity with millions of people UNHCR is working on the ground to ensure projects, including our #WithRefugees across the world driven from their homes by campaign. To mark World Refugee Day 2018 he and Ben spoke at the UN appeared in a special of Buzzfeed Tasty General Assembly for the handing-in ceremony joined by writer and former Iraqi refugee of the #WithRefugees campaign which Ahmed Badr to make chicken shawarma, a contained 1.3 million signatures and urged the dish from Ahmed’s homeland. community to durable plight of refugees and to join in to protect and for refugees. The was to the support them. In 2016, Ben has also been featured in a UN Secretary General, ahead of the historic UN public awareness alongside fellow high Summit on Refugees & Migrants on September 16, 2016. Who are the UNHCR Goodwill Ambassadors? Syrian refugees living in Jordan and met families On July 20, 2018, when his appointment was and It Becomes a Reality from UNHCR’s cash assistance announced, he was in Guatemala, where he met program and going through the with refugees from Central and South America who Actor Ben has been UNHCR process.