Iraq: Humanitarians behind the scenes

Abdallah Zarzour is the head of cooks at MSF’s Nablus hospital in west Mosul. He often goes to the banks of the Tigris River, where he finds peace of mind. This is possible because, as he says, “water is life.” Iraq 2020 © Christina Rizk/MSF

Nour Al-Zouhairy (center), a medical data supervisor for MSF in Mosul, reviews the medical logs with the nurses and registrars before entering the data in the computer. “When you work with an international organization like MSF, you get to meet people from different countries and are introduced to new cultures." says Nour. "It’s a dynamic work environment.” Iraq 2020 © Christina Rizk/MSF

Mohamad Ghanem works as a maintenance agent for MSF in Mosul. Mohamad and Najat, his wife, have six children. After a busy day at work, Mohamad returns home still full of energy. He helps his six children with their homework and plays with them. “I never let my children see me in a bad mood,” he says. “I have great love for my family. I live to see them happy and I hope I can give them a better future.” Iraq 2020 © Christina Rizk/MSF

Muammar Al-Hiyali (second from the left) works as head of drivers at MSF’s post-operative care hospital in east Mosul. Muammar manages a team of 15 drivers, some pictured here. “What motivates me and makes me love my job is a patient’s joy during the recovering process,” he says. “As staff members, we follow them on their journey of healing." Iraq 2020 © Christina Rizk/MSF

Mohamad Anwar, a biomedical supervisor at MSF’s post-operative care hospital in east Mosul, visits the warehouse where MSF keeps its medical stocks. “I always try to help people as much as I can,” he says. “When the fighting started in Mosul, it required an even larger response than we could offer at first. I believe my work with MSF is my opportunity to help as many people as possible.” Iraq 2020 © Christina Rizk/MSF