Hiba Hanano is Head of OCHA’s Aleppo sub-office. In this interview, she shares her experience following the recent Syrian insurgency in the nation’s second-biggest city, and how the team came together as a family to cope with fear and uncertainty.?
The past few weeks have been quite dramatic in Syria. Can you tell us how the team in Aleppo coped?
Indeed, the past few weeks have been very difficult for all of us. The latest upheaval in Aleppo started on 26 November with the outbreak of shelling and airstrikes which resounded across the city impacting residential areas, with many civilian casualties.
On 29 November, the local population started to flee Aleppo. Because of the sudden turn of events, I called an emergency staff meeting to discuss with my colleagues and hear their concerns. And as a team, we decided that all staff members would regroup in the office with our respective families.
We knew we were going to face the unknown together. We left our houses in a hurry, only taking with us our basic documentations. We all slept on the floor of our offices. Our children played together next to us, and we felt like one big family. This helped us stay strong.
Those first few days went by very slowly, they were terrifying. The worry arose from the past trauma of having experienced conflict and tremendous shelling. We had a feeling of “déjà-vu” of the period between 2012 and 2016, and our fear materialized when air-stirks started falling upon Aleppo city.
As a team leader, what do you think are the most critical skills to have in a crisis?
As a manager, I believe first and foremost in unity. I did my best to keep colleagues together, to support each other and step in for one another as needed. But I also believe in our mandate and that as OCHA, we can make the difference for people who depend on us. This is what drives me to put my fear aside and stay focused on what needs to be done.
As humanitarians, we tend to forget we are also human. We have our fears, we question our choices, but let’s not shy away from seeking support when we needed it. I don’t believe that I did something extraordinary. I believe we all did. By staying side by side as one team during those difficult times.
