Mohammed Gimish, a National Field Coordinator with the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Sudan, shares how he went from providing humanitarian aid to internally displaced persons in Darfur to becoming one himself.
When we last spoke, you were working in Port Sudan while your family had evacuated to Saudi Arabia. How has the situation evolved for you and your family since then?
Over the past few years, we have gone through several significant transitions. After a few days in Saudi Arabia, my family relocated to the Sultanate of Oman, joining my mother?in?law who had recently settled there.
Thankfully, I was able to secure schooling for my three children in Salalah, so they could stay there for over a year while I continued working in Port Sudan.
Getting to see them, however, was difficult. Obtaining a visa to go to Oman was extremely challenging, so we arranged to meet in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where the entry process was much easier for all of us.
But when their residence visa expired, they had to leave Oman, and that was another difficult transition as my priority was to ensure they¡¯d not miss school.
After carefully reviewing our options, I decided it was best for them to stay in Kuala Lumpur. I could spend some time with them, and it felt amazing to be a family again, even for just a short period.
Eventually, I had to return alone to Port Sudan. As I am speaking to you now, I am in the process of arranging for my family to finally return to Sudan.
I am counting the days until we can be reunited and able to resume our lives - together.
Back then, you showed incredible resilience in the face of hardship. Three years into the conflict, has your outlook changed?
My family and I went through a lot, but I still ¨C and will always ¨C hold onto my belief that purpose is my guiding force. And my work as a humanitarian reinforces this belief every day.
Our collective efforts to help the most vulnerable give us strength and courage. I had the privilege of leading inter-agency assessment missions in Port Sudan and Wad Madani, Al Jazira State.
Being part of these missions reminded me of the huge impact of coordinated humanitarian action on people¡¯s lives, and it makes me proud.
During one of these missions, we identified a group of single women with children who had been marginalized by their community - even before the conflict. With the full support of OCHA¡¯s leadership, we did targeted, intentional advocacy for them.
Since then, the lives of these women and their children have completely transformed. Their homes were rehabilitated, humanitarian assistance began flowing, and gained international recognition including through coverage on big media outlets, from BBC to Radio France.
Witnessing this change strengthened my belief that even in protracted, complex crises, real progress is achievable.
Resilience is not just about surviving. It is about showing up, serving others no matter what you¡¯re going through, and believing that changing someone¡¯s life for the better is possible.
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