We cannot stand back and watch the deaths of humanitarian aid workers who only try to bring relief

Recent video footage of aid trucks emblazoned with flashing red lights and international symbols of humanitarian aid, which are under attack by the Israeli military, shreds any belief that healthcare staff are protected in war, writes Suzanne Crowe

Sudanese soldiers in the East Nile province of Sudan in June 2019. Since the war broke out in Sudan, according to the UN, at least 84 humanitarian workers have been killed. File photo: AP/Hussein Malla

Years ago, like many doctors and nurses before me, I joined a humanitarian mission with an international medical charity. I was curious as to why some colleagues felt pulled towards volunteering in difficult and sometimes dangerous places.

Within hours of arriving on my first trip to Ethiopia, I understood why thousands of Irish-trained healthcare professionals embark on this work. It is a labour of compassion. The sole motivation is to be with your fellow humans who are suffering, to try and relieve pain, and show them that the world has not abandoned them.