Reading Rieke’s story made my palms sweat. I felt like I was there – but I wasn’t. I was safe, far from the chaos and conflict she described. And still, I could barely take it in. 

In a world full of suffering and injustice, showing up to care for someone else, especially when you yourself have lost so much, is an act of extraordinary humanity. Humanity is the first principle of the Red Cross and sometimes might feel abstract. But it isn’t. It isn’t abstract when you see a nurse return to the ward not as a caregiver, but as a patient – her baby in her arms, her son lost. It isn’t abstract when colleagues carry stretchers and stitch wounds side by side, hungry and grieving, but still showing up. It isn’t abstract when medical professional like Rieke, who do so much, feel a sense of guilt for resting. 

That’s what humanity looks like. It’s not easy or simple. It is courageous, relentless, challenging. Deeply human. I am proud of Rieke, and every Red Cross worker who continues to stand with communities in Gaza. Their strength humbles me. 

While reading this, I’m also reminded that there’s a lot we can do, even from afar. It is this spirit of solidarity that inspires the incredible generosity of the Irish public. Thanks to this support, the Irish Red Cross is providing €200,000 to help sustain the Red Cross Field Hospital in Rafah and enable medical teams like Rieke’s to continue their lifesaving work.

Amanda Marques, Digital Communications Officer