While people across the world eagerly follow the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, humanitarian workers continue to sacrifice their lives to aid those in urgent need.
Medical professionals at Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) - or Doctors without Borders - are no exception.
Last week, MSF Lebanon released a video inspired by the World Cup to honor its field workers and highlight the significance of their ongoing efforts.
"Not everyone gets to watch the match until the final whistle"
The video depicts a group of MSF field workers watching a World Cup match. When they hear the sound of an explosion nearby, they quickly get up, gather their tools, and leave to provide the necessary aid.
A statement that reads, "Not everyone gets to watch the match until the final whistle," appears towards the end of the video.
"MSF produced this video to express gratitude for the efforts of emergency teams as well as medical and nursing staff who respond to emergencies and provide care to patients around the world," the independent organization wrote in the caption.
The video was inspired by real-life events
Speaking to StepFeed, Salwa Abouchakra, an MSF Lebanon representative, revealed the video was inspired by a situation a team member experienced in Yemen.
"It was his [the team member's] first morning after arriving to the MSF hospital in Aden when a bomb went off near the hospital. The team, which was having breakfast at the time, dropped everything and rushed to save the wounded," Abouchakra explained.
"The message behind the video is very simple: We are there on the ground wherever our patients need us and they are our number one priority," she added.
"Content about humanitarian crises is competing with cat videos and funny memes"
When asked whether people have become less sensitive to humanitarian crises, Abouchakra said it has become "increasingly difficult to grab people's attention on any specific issue."
"There is a lot of suffering in the region and around the world, in addition to the fact that everyone is overwhelmed with so many posts and stories. Today, with social media, content about humanitarian crises is competing with cat videos and funny memes," she said.
MSF is thus trying to engage the public with creative content and social media campaigns, according to Abouchakra.
What is MSF?
Originating in France, the international humanitarian organization offers medical aid in conflict zones and in countries affected by endemic diseases.
"Today, we are a worldwide movement of more than 42,000 people," according to the MSF website.
Abouchakra revealed that the organization does not have volunteer opportunities in the field to "make sure that our patients are receiving the best level of professional care for free."
"That's why we only hire professionals with at least two years of experience from both medical and non-medical profiles to work with us in the field," she explained.
Interested in joining MSF? Visit the 'Work Abroad' section here.
