A lesson in resilience, solidarity and integration

As we approach the first year of the start of the war in Gaza, I would like to pay tribute to the resilience of my colleagues in Gaza, the solidarity of Enabel and the hospitality of Belgium.

We had 22 colleagues in Gaza before the war. As soon as we realised that the conflict was going to last and that the safety of our colleagues could not be guaranteed, we applied to the Belgian government for humanitarian visas for our 22 colleagues and their families (more than 80 people in total), which were granted.

Following this decision, 17 of our colleagues managed to leave Gaza. One of them, Abdallah Nabhan, was sadly killed in an Israeli airstrike along with his seven-year-old son Jamal in the eastern part of the city of Rafah on April 24, 2024. Four other colleagues did not get permission from Israel to leave and are still trapped in the nightmare of the ongoing conflict. We try to support them as much as possible.

Of the 17 colleagues who managed to leave, 14 are now in Belgium, with their families. Their integration in Belgium is a lesson in solidarity and integration.

Thanks to the Belgian asylum mechanisms and the support put in place by Enabel, all colleagues have found accommodation, managed to find a school for their children, are learning Dutch or French and have found a job at Enabel.2 are now project managers in our global project units, 5 are experts in our expertise team and 7 have joined our support units.

It didn't happen by chance! The amount of energy, hard work, dedication, and ingenuity that goes into it deserves respect! Thank you to all the colleagues at Enabel who went the extra mile for their support. Thank you also to our former Minister Caroline Gennez and to the entire Belgian government for their humanity and the strong positions they have taken in favour of the protection of civilians and the principles of international humanitarian law.

Even though it may seem like a drop in the ocean compared to the number of casualties in this conflict, I am proud of what we have done and I am proud of my country, Belgium. I am also proud of my colleagues in Gaza who, despite what they have been through, come to the office every day and integrate as much as they can into Belgian society.

As the conflict spreads and intensifies, I call on all parties to refrain from escalation. Too many lives have been lost, too many families have been separated and so many dreams have been shattered.

Give peace a chance!