I Know Where I’m Going
See the full project at: https://www.mediastorm.com/clients/ar...
Yemen is affected by several conflicts that in recent months have had grave humanitarian consequences for its population. Interest in the country has risen dramatically in the U.S law and policy community, due to the presence of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula on Yemeni territory.
In the southern port city of Aden and in nearby provinces, the Yemeni government is fighting Al Hirak, a secessionist movement and Ansar Al Sharia, a group affiliated with Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. Violence is rife and military operations are ongoing. Casualties are reported almost daily. Thousands of civilians have been displaced by the fighting.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), a neutral, independent and impartial humanitarian organization with global reach, has significant protection and assistance programs in Yemen, one of its largest operations. It has been active in the country since 1962.
Today, the ICRC in Aden assists over 300,000 civilians affected by violence in south Yemen alone and does so by actively engaging with all parties in what is an exceptionally complex and challenging operational environment. In accordance with the mandate given to it by the community of states, the organization has also carried out repeated visits to detainees held by Ansar Al Sharia to monitor their treatment and their conditions of detention.
Underscoring the dangers of humanitarian action in that context, Hussein Saleh, the ICRC staff member portrayed in I Know Where I’m Going, was tragically killed by shrapnel from an airstrike while working for the ICRC in Abyan, south Yemen, in June 2012. I Know Where I’m Going was nearing completion when he died. The movie is now a tribute to this extraordinary humanitarian.
Hussein Saleh worked for the ICRC in Aden. His family background and reputation meant that he was highly respected by many influential actors in the region and could personally engage with all armed groups and a number of community leaders throughout south Yemen. His work ensured that the ICRC’s core principles of neutrality, independence and impartiality were understood and that all parties welcomed the organization and allowed it to work safely.
I Know Where I’m Going follows Mr. Saleh, who was born and raised in southern Yemen, as he networks and visits with the Yemeni government and the leaders of the armed groups that control large swath of territory. It captures Mr. Saleh and the ICRC Aden team as they prepare for the first visit ever to detainees held by a Jihadist group, a significant operational milestone for the organization in the country and globally.
Mr. Saleh’s efforts were critical to the protection and assistance operations of ICRC Aden. Working closely with his colleagues, he made significant contributions to the development of a neutral and impartial humanitarian operation in this volatile and dangerous region.
Mr. Saleh was born in 1977. He died on June 20, 2012 in his native Abyan Province. He is survived by four young children and a wife who is pregnant.
Publish Date: December 18, 2012
Credits
Director: Simon Schorno
Video: Leandro Badalotti
Still Photography and Additional Video: Tara Todras-Whitehill
Editor and Producer: Eric Maierson
Associate Producer: Leandro Badalotti
Additional Footage: Reuters
Executive Producer : Brian Storm
Special Thanks
Special thanks to Eric Marclay, Yehia Khalil, Dibeh Fakhr, Name of our driver, Mary Werntz and the entire ICRC Yemen delegation.
Connect with MediaStorm
MediaStorm Publication Subscription: https://mediastorm.com/pub/projects
YouTube: / mediastormdotorg
Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/mediastorm
Facebook: / mediastorm.org
Twitter: / mediastorm
Instagram: / mediastorm
LinkedIn: / mediastorm
Newsletter: https://mediastorm.com/join