Freed aid workers honoured with award

Freed aid worker Sharon Commins has been honoured with a humanitarian award.

The 32-year-old Dubliner and her Ugandan colleague Hilda Kawuki were held captive for almost four months in war-torn Sudan.

Four Irish aid agencies nominated the pair, who were released last month after 107 days in captivity, to receive the first Hugh O’Flaherty International Humanitarian Award last night.

Jerry O’Grady, of the Hugh O’Flaherty memorial committee, said the women were still in captivity when they were selected.

“At the time, our thoughts were greatly influenced not only by the shining example shown to us all by the brave and selfless work of Sharon and Hilda but also by the solidarity shown by other NGOs when they decided to nominate them in the place of colleagues from their own organisation,” said Mr O’Grady.

The Clontarf aid worker was in Darfur with Goal when she and Miss Kawuki were kidnapped in the northern town of Kutum on July 3.

She arrived back home on the government Jet on October 20 for a long-awaited reunion with her relieved parents, Mark and Agatha and brothers Derek and Martin.

She revealed she was scared, anxious and stressed throughout her ordeal, with her abductors staging mock executions by shooting around her as she knelt on their knees.

Last year Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty (1898-1963) was awarded a posthumous Killarney International Humanitarian Award in recognition of his selfless humanitarian work in Italy during World War II which saved the lives of over 6,500 people.

Organisers decided this award would be an annual award and re-named in honour of the Monsignor.

The award was presented as part of the Hugh O’Flaherty Memorial Weekend, taking place this weekend, which features a wide range of events and activities to honour of the Monsignor.

Funds are also being raised to build a permanent memorial to the Monsignor in Killarney town centre.

Goal’s John O’Shea said he was deeply honoured his colleagues in Trocaire and Concern also nominated Sharon and Hilda.

“The Monsignor was quite a remarkable man and his memory should be honoured,” added Mr O’Shea.