Thirty-four
year-old statistics expert Abdulwahab Hmood taught at university
before joining the Iraqi Red Crescent two years ago. In his
own words, it is the fundamental principles of the International
Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement that give Hmood the strength
to cope with the difficulties he faces daily.
During a recent training course given by the Turkish Red Crescent
in Ankara, Hmood spoke to International Federation Regional
Communication Officer Elif Unal Arslan about his work with the
Iraqi Red Crescent under the current situation.
Elif: Can you tell us about yourself? What is your
role in the Iraqi Red Crescent?
Hmood: My name is Abdulwahab Hmood. I have been working
in the Iraqi Red Crescent Baghdad Branch for the past two years
as a deputy to the branch chairman and a public relations consultant.
Elif: Why did you join the Iraqi Red Crescent?
Hmood: From a humanitarian perspective, I joined the
National Society in order to help my country’s people
who face distress on daily basis, in order to reduce their woes
and suffering.
Elif: What did you do before joining the Red Crescent?
Hmood: I was working as a professor at a university.
I did my masters degree and started working as a statistics
instructor. I wanted to serve all the people of my country and
that’s why I joined the Iraqi Red Crescent. I could not
have achieved my goal with another organization, because the
Red Crescent assists everyone.
Elif: What kind of assistance does the Iraqi Red Crescent
Baghdad Branch provide and to whom?
Hmood: The Baghdad branch has some 44 offices located
in city neighbourhoods. There are 344 personnel working at the
Baghdad Branch headquarters and offices in the neighbourhoods.
Each office has separate tasks to fulfil, such as providing
in-kind assistance, nutrition assistance, youth services and
support, health services, as well as cultural and social services.
Elif: Can you be a little more specific on the services
you mentioned?
Hmood: In-kind assistance includes the distribution
of goods such as clothing and kitchen utensils. Nutrition assistance
means distribution of food items - and that is being done regularly
on monthly basis. Youth services and support include attracting
youth to the National Society and providing them with vocational
training to help them find a job through which they can earn
their daily bread. Carpentry, tailoring and ironworking are
among the courses provided.
Elif: Are you recruiting the young people you train
as Iraqi Red Crescent volunteers?
Hmood: Sure, sure. This is the only condition for young
people to attend our courses. We, at the Baghdad branch have
about 3,000 active volunteers. When I say health services, I
mean first aid training. We organize this first aid training
even at primary and secondary schools, in coordination with
the Ministry of Education.
The Baghdad Branch, together with the Ministry of Health and
the municipal authorities, has opened seven hospitals which
include surgical and internal medicine wards. But the Iraqi
Red Crescent plays a key role in those hospitals since it is
the Red Crescent that meets the needs for medical equipment,
medicines, etc. Sometimes we buy these items, and at other times
they are donated by neighbouring countries. The Iraqi government
also provides us with financial assistance. As a part of our
cultural and social services, we organize literacy courses,
together with the Ministry of Education in which some of the
teachers are our volunteers. We also organize group weddings,
as well as provide care services for the elderly and orphans.
Elif: Have you ever witnessed a violent incident?
Hmood: No not me. But my workmates, whom I
regard as my close friends, my family, they have witnessed some.
We are generally present at the scene after a violent incident
has taken place. We provide first aid and take the injured to
hospital for further care. We reach and enter areas that Ministry
of Health workers cannot access. That is possible for us because
we are working independently and respecting the principles of
neutrality, impartiality and humanity.
Elif: Considering the joint activities that you carry
out with the government, as you have explained, how do you ensure
that the general public is convinced about your impartiality
and neutrality?
Hmood: We do our best. We help everyone, without discrimination.
But there is violence in Iraq on daily basis and this puts us
at risk too. But we have to do our work. We simply cannot sit
back and watch what is happening. We have to take risks and
help those who need and ask for our help. We have lost workers
in violent incidents. They were killed.
Elif: How do you cope with this situation?
Hmood: We strongly believe in the fundamental principles
that are also the principles of the Iraqi Red Crescent. That
belief supports us, empowers us and helps us to continue our
work.
Elif: But surely you must take some precautions?
Hmood: Of course we take precautions but we are doing
this completely independently. We receive no support from any
of the confronting parties and we are not siding with any of
them.
We are working in a very risky environment. We know
the risks and we know it is dangerous. Everybody working at
the Iraqi Red Crescent knows that after they leave home in the
morning for work, there is no guarantee that they will be able
to return in the evening. We have some 18 Red Crescent workers
who have been killed since 2003. But we help any Iraqi who asks
us for help.
Elif: It must be very hard to cope with those
tough and dangerous conditions emotionally. How do you and other
Red Crescent workers manage?
Hmood: My mission is to serve people, people who are
in need. When I think of my mission I feel strong and that feeling
helps me to overcome difficulties. I was earning more when I
worked as an academic. But my aspiration is to serve people,
and not to accumulate material gains.
Elif: Does the Iraqi Red Crescent provide any
psychological support to its workers?
Hmood: We have a psychological support department which
provides services to all, including our staff. The workers in
that department are experts in that field and they are also
volunteers.
The volunteers and staff members at the Baghdad Branch work
very closely together and they see each other as the members
of the same family.
Elif: What do you find most difficult to cope with?
Hmood: Some friends were kidnapped from the branch
in December 2006. Twelve workmates, friends of mine, were abducted.
At the time I was in Turkey for a conference and I got the bad
news here. I was shocked because they were like family for me.
Apparently unidentified armed people raided the branch. Initially
they kidnapped 44 people and they released most of them afterwards.
But these 12 are still missing.
Elif: Are there any rewarding moments?
Hmood: I remember a clothing distribution to some orphans.
We gave them about 5,000 pieces of clothing. They lost their
mother, father, and their relatives in the violence. It is our
responsibility to look after them. I myself have two children.
But the happiest moment in my life is when I see the orphans’
sparkling eyes when they receive clothes. A smile on the face
of an orphan or a sparkle in her or his eyes is enough for me.
It is more valuable than anything else in the world.
Elif: Thank you.
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Abdulwahab
Hmood (34) has been working in the Iraqi Red Crescent
Baghdad Branch for the past two years as a deputy to the
branch chairman and a public relations consultant. (p15893)
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During
a recent training course given by the Turkish Red Crescent
in Ankara, Hmood (rigth) spoke to International Federation
Regional Communication Officer Elif Unal Arslan (left)
about his work with the Iraqi Red Crescent under the current
situation. (p15895)
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