When ending war and poverty is your job title

As the helicopter slowly descends, soldiers from the military barrack come out to the landing site. The soldiers surrounded the helicopter. I was scared for what happens next. 10 years later, I have not forgotten that moment. I see the soldiers approaching the helicopter. I see them dragging out a staff member and tearing his clothes apart. I feel the sun burning in my face as I run to the military general in charge 20 minutes by foot where every minute counts to negotiate his release. I was 31 years old and here I was in South Sudan negotiating with armed actors. As a humanitarian, no matter where you are from, you are thrown into situations that for many people only exist in movies. But it’s a reality. You are often the only one that stands between dying or living. But what does that do to you if your job is seeing poverty and wars on a daily basis. When poverty and wars become your reality? Tell me about your experiences in comments below.