Dr Engy Ali Appointed President of MSF Luxembourg

On Wednesday 12 June 2024, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Luxembourg announced the appointment of Dr Engy Ali as President of the Luxembourg section of the medical humanitarian organisation by the members of the Board of Directors.

Dr Engy Ali will take up her duties publicly at a donors evening on Tuesday 18 June 2024, during which MSF Luxembourg will present its 2023 Activity Report.

During her twelve years with MSF, Dr Engy Ali has worked as an operational research advisor in the Luxembourg Operational Research Unit (LuxOR), supporting humanitarian field research projects in Bangladesh, Kenya, Somalia, Nigeria, Lebanon, Syria, Haiti, Liberia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Philippines, Egypt, Pakistan and Europe. During her professional career, she has held several medical and coordination positions within MSF as medical coordinator, field coordinator and epidemiologist.

Dr Engy Ali joined the board of MSF Luxembourg as a member in 2022. She currently works for the Luxembourg Directorate of Health as a senior medical advisor on the healthcare system and as the national focal point for scaling up integrated care.

Following the General Assembly of MSF Luxembourg on 4 May 2024, outgoing President Dr Bechara Ziadé stepped down as head of the Board of Directors after two years in office. Reflecting on this period, he said: "In recent years, we have been confronted with an international context marked by the emergence of conflicts and major events. This has meant frequent emergency missions, interventions during natural disasters and increased work within MSF International."

Dr Bechara Ziadé added: "For me, representing Luxembourg meant taking an active part in the international debates within our movement and in building the future of MSF. It was a collective effort. So it was crucial for me to be present and committed. This required a higher level of international commitment, which was not as pronounced during my first term."

Next Tuesday, at 18:30, MSF Luxembourg will present its 2023 Activity Report at a donors evening. This small-scale event will also welcome Roland Couprie, WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) coordinator, who will talk about his latest missions in Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

In 2023, MSF visited 74 countries where it believed the needs were greatest. The new report focuses on mobilisation in emergency contexts, such as the war in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, in Sudan and neighbouring countries, in Ukraine, or in other natural crises such as the earthquakes in Turkey-Syria and Afghanistan.

The document also presents a summary of the organisation's financial report. In 2023, MSF Luxembourg raised more than €9.6 million thanks to the generosity of its donors. It noted that 99.26% of these donations came from private sources, in line with its commitment to neutrality, impartiality and independence from any political power.

"In 2023, natural disasters and conflicts continued to unbalance the world: what we took for granted could topple from one moment to the next, in dynamics that have never been so changeable. Yet the solidarity and loyalty of our donors are bulwarks and a refuge from the many crises that mobilise our teams," commented Esther Leick, Director of Communications and Fundraising. "The renewed support of our donors accompanies us, guides us and brings us together around a common humanity that we need to defend more than ever. Our supporters are our strength and our future, and we would like to thank them sincerely for that."

To continue supporting the work of MSF Luxembourg, the public is invited to make a donation, either online at https://msf.lu/en/faire-un-don or by bank transfer to account LU75 1111 0000 4848 0000.