Stories From Patients & Staff

Donna Collins, nurse and midwife from Whangārei, New Zealand, shares her experience working in humanitarian projects, including as a midwife activity manager with MSF in Lebanon. 

General paediatrician and paediatric emergency medicine specialist at Sydney Children’s Hospital and Canberra, Dr Goodyer shares her insights about the opportunities and learnings from her colleagues overseas. 

Patrick Baffoun is someone who wants to experience as much as possible, now he has joined Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). What drives him is a desire to get a comprehensive understanding of how MSF’s projects work from the ground up.  

Myanmar is facing an acute humanitarian crisis since fighting escalated at the end of October 2023. The intensification of conflict has led to a lack of humanitarian access, a decimation of the healthcare system, and increasing fear of military conscription.

Haiti's already fragile situation continues to deteriorate, with armed clashes and barricades forcing the closure of many medical facilities and preventing many of those in desperate need of healthcare and basic supplies from reaching that assistance. 

Located at the west of Kirkuk Governorate, the Hawija district was part of Iraq’s one-third of territory that fell under the control of the Islamic State (IS) group in 2014. For three years, thousands of people fled their homes, leaving everything behind. Hundreds of thousands were displaced into camps in Kirkuk and other governorates. The district’s health infrastructure sustained significant damage. 

When conflict erupted near Matt Cowling's MSF placement in Sudan, his placement turned into something unexpected. Having recently returned, he discusses his year-long experience and his observations of the ongoing hostilities in Sudan.

Scarlett Wong, a Sydney-based psychologist, speaks about her three-week placement in a situation that is “the worst humanitarian disaster I have ever seen.”

Francesca Arcidiacono has returned to Sudan as deputy head of mission. In 2023, she worked as the Head of Mission in Sudan and was a firsthand witness to the beginning of the current war. Today, she's reflecting on her decision to return to Sudan and what this means to her personally.