A New Zealander working with an NGO has been awarded the 2017 Félix Houphouët-Boigny Peace Prize by UNESCO.
Shaun Cornelius is a Médecins Sans Frontières / Doctors without Borders Logistician Manager on the SOS Méditerranée asylum seekers rescue boat Aquarius in the Mediterranean.
Shaun, who comes from Wellington, is on his fourth assignment with MSF. He previously was in Ethiopia, South Sudan and on the Aquarius in 2016.
SOS Méditerranée is a European NGO that rescues asylum seekers in distress in the Mediterranean. Since launching its rescue operation in February 2016 it has rescued more than 11,000 asylum seekers.
“I’m honoured to participate to the humanitarian action achieved by the SOS Méditerranée – Aquarius ship,” Shaun said.
“MSF’s primary role is to look after people once they are on board and this involves getting them into dry clothing, showering to remove gasoline, providing food, water, toilets and shelter, and of course medical treatment.”
“As a logistician, I keep all the MSF equipment and structures on board in good working condition. This includes the shelter structures, toilets, showers and plumbing, drinking water filters, radios, computers and medical equipment.”
“I am also responsible for the stocks of emergency kits and food we provide to our passengers. I carry out the re-order of supplies’ and I also liaise with the ship’s crew and engineers if repairs or modifications are needed to the ship’s equipment.”
The Félix Houphouët-Boigny Peace Prize was created in 1989 to honor individuals or public and private bodies or institutions that have made a significant contribution to promoting, seeking, safeguarding or maintaining peace in conformity with the United Nations’ Charter and the Constitution of UNESCO.
Past laureates of the Prize have included personalities such as French President François Hollande, Nelson Mandela and Frederik W. De Klerk; Yitzhak Rabin, Shimon Peres and Yasser Arafat; King Juan Carlos of Spain and former U.S.A. President, Jimmy Carter.
Read Shaun’ story
Source
- Supplied: msf.org.au
- en.unesco.org
- Image: msf.org.au