Amman: Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and the Culture Ministry Thursday launched the Arabic version of “Reconstructing Lives: Victims of War in the Middle East and Médecins Sans Frontières,” a book by Vanja Kovacic.
Prince El Hassan bin Talal said in a speech delivered by former health minister Saad Jaber that MSF has provided “comprehensive” medical support to people affected by natural disasters, conflict, displacement and other crises irrespective of race, religion, creed or affiliation.
The speech went on to commend the MSF’s commitment to assisting the vulnerable and marginalised, noting that the book “humanises” statistics and confirms that the psychological and emotional losses in disasters and wars cannot be counted in numbers.
In the speech, Prince El Hassan added that the book sheds light on a multidimensional scene of suffering caused by conflicts and the humanitarian aid’s “effective” role in alleviating it.
He noted that humanitarian aid, despite its influential role, is not a solution to crises, noting that empowering people and setting priorities and planning are necessary to address different issues.
The speech highlighted that the “time has come to work for something instead of working against something.”
For her part, the author of the book and anthropology researcher Vanja Kovacic said the book documents the work of the daily reality that patients live in the hospital and after they return to their homes, adding that it searches and documents the experiences of those who were provided with care.
She goes on to say that the study aims to enrich the knowledge to realise a “comprehensive” approach to rehabilitation that would adapt to the needs of patients in the long term.
Source: Jordan News Agency