A Logistician from Venice to Renovate 17 First Aid Posts (FAP) in Northern Afghanistan

Gabriele, A logistician from Venice will be leaving on mission for Afghanistan with the humanitarian aid organization EMERGENCY. After 25 years in local construction, Gabriele Gorup de Besanez from Dorsoduro, a village near Venice, has put his professional expertise to the service of Gino Strada’s organization EMERGENCY. Between 2004 and 2005 he went on three missions: in Erbil (Iraqi Kurdistan); in Lashkargah (Southern Afghanistan) and in Sudan ─ where in the Northeast area of Darfur he worked on the renovation of two surgery theaters of the local Al-Fashir Hospital and where in the capital Khartoum, he worked in the construction of the new cardio-surgery hospital being built by EMERGENCY.

Gabriele will soon leave again. The destination this time is the Panjshir Valley (Northern Afghanistan) where he will work on the maintenance and renovation of 17 first aid posts throughout the region. Gabriele, father and already grandfather at just 49, recounts how within his family the feelings of pride and apprehension are entwined. “Working for EMERGENCY means a life of hard work. So far I have never found myself in highly dangerous situations. But once you are there, you are constantly aware and concerned about your security ─ something which you can handle by strictly respecting a number of very precise rules. While there you have the opportunity and the sense of duty to do the best you are able to do”.

With reference to his next mission Gabriele says, “From the report I have read, it is likely that there are roofs to be reinforced as a result of snow. I will also probably have to build a retaining wall for a first aid post on the edge of a mountain as well as handle all the hygiene related issues.”

Why the decision to leave on mission with EMERGENCY? “I was tired of criticizing these atrocities called wars. I decided the moment had come to do something concrete. I find it rewarding that someone else might attain a more dignified life, maybe also thanks to my efforts. There is a lot to do over there. However, there is also much to be done here to prevent the continual patching of holes via humanitarian missions. We must all work together in order to ensure that conflicts be resolved by means of non-aggressive solutions and agreements.”

Is there any any anecdote that you recall in particular" "In Kurdistan there was an old man whose arm had been torn apart by a firearm. He wanted an estimate for medical treatment costs before coming to our hospital as he didn't wnat to burden his family with debt. It took quite a bit to assure him that EMERGENCY's services were free of charge. He couldn't believe it."