Brazil doctor Nádia Rudneck honored on World Humanitarian Day

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) today (19)—the World Humanitarian Day—is paying a tribute to women who work in conflict areas around the world. Among the honorees is Brazilian doctor Nádia Rudneck, who specializes in trauma and emergency. Today, Nádia is pursuing a master’s degree in international humanitarian action and works as a surgeon at a military hospital in South Sudan, where she is the only woman on the team. She is a members of the Red Cross committee and says she plans to continue promoting humanitarian action.

“For male patients, I see it’s not an issue if you’re a man or a woman. However, as far as women patients are concerned, they probably feel a little more comfortable having a doctor or surgeon of the same sex,” she remarked.

The date, created by the United Nations, is celebrated to show the importance of the work of those who leave their home and family to help people living under risk.

The World Humanitarian Day coincides with the date when the UN headquarters in Baghdad, Iraq, suffered a terrorist attack that left 150 employees injured and 22 killed. One of the victim was Brazilian diplomat and then-head of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Sergio Vieira de Mello.

Humanitarian work is described by ICRC as vital in conflict areas, especially to assist women, who are usually disproportionately affected by threats and sexual assault.

According to figures from the UN Commissioner for Refugees, 132 million people need humanitarian assistance across the world due to conflicts, repression, and natural disasters, half of whom girls and women who face discrimination and violence on a daily basis.

*With information from the International Committee of the Red Cross