Jacques David, a Regional Information Officer, is currently based in Amman, covering Armenia and Azerbaijan, Moldova, Türkiye, Ukraine and Yemen for the European Union’s humanitarian aid office.
Jacques did not begin his humanitarian career behind a camera or a keyboard. He started on the ground, as a protection delegate with the International Committee of the Red Cross in Africa, working directly with people affected by violence and instability. It was there that he discovered not only the power of humanitarian action, but also the importance of telling its stories.
‘I feel fortunate to make global solidarity more visible through stories, photos videos and interactions with media,’ Jacques says. Although imperfect, those deeply human endeavours deserve attention in a world often dominated by darker narratives.
Over time, he moved into communications, motivated by the belief that these stories matter precisely because they are so rarely heard.
‘We don’t hear much of these things in the news or on social media,’ Jacques reflects. ‘So, contributing to show what’s a little bit brighter in this world means a lot to me.’
Humanitarian needs in Ukraine and Yemen
Today, Jacques covers contexts as different as Ukraine and Yemen: 2 countries at war, but in very different ways.
In both, humanitarian needs are immense: around 12 million people require assistance in Ukraine, and 19 million in Yemen. Across these crises, people struggle to access food, water, shelter, healthcare, education, and protection. As a principled donor, the EU works to respond wherever needs are greatest.
Yet the nature of suffering differs sharply. In Ukraine, Jacques describes a profound protection crisis driven by Russia’s brutal war, which directly targets civilians and civilian infrastructure. Homes, schools, hospitals, energy and water systems are deliberately hit. In Yemen, the crisis is marked by hunger on a devastating scale.
‘17 million people cannot meet their basic food needs,’ Jacques explains. ‘Children are particularly vulnerable, with some of the highest malnutrition rates the country has ever seen. An entire generation’s future under threat.’
Amid these stark realities, Jacques has seen how EU-funded humanitarian projects can restore dignity in very concrete ways.
Stories of resilience and hope
One initiative that stayed with him was an EU-funded UNICEF project in Sloviansk, Ukraine, which restored safe water to 100,000 people after Russian attacks damaged the city’s infrastructure.
‘Having water on tap again means families no longer have to choose between cooking, washing, or bathing their children,’ Jacques says. ‘That level of dignity should never be a luxury, even during wartime.’
Some encounters leave a deeper mark. Jacques recalls Cristina, a Ukrainian mother who fled in the middle of the night during a bombing raid, guided by instinct to save her child. She eventually reached Moldova, where she rebuilt her life and now works as a social educator in an EU- and UNICEF-supported project.
What struck him most was how war reshaped her sense of what matters.
‘Life is not about money or new clothes,’ Christina told him. ‘What matters are the small moments: your children laughing, the walks you take together.’
Read Christina’s story (From the whistle of rockets to children’s smiles: a refugee mother’s new beginning)
Finding balance amid crises
Documenting crises takes an emotional toll. To stay resilient, Jacques has learned the importance of disconnecting. Walking, yoga, jogging, and music help him cope. Over the years, he has learned percussion in Congo, the daf in Jordan (a traditional drum), and choir singing along the way.
Whenever possible, he brings people together through music and dance, even DJing during missions. ‘Dance music is one of the best ways to move, socialise, have fun and relieve stress,’ Jacques claims.
There are also much Jacques wishes the world better understood. One overlooked reality is the lack of opportunities for young people in crisis-affected countries. In Yemen especially, he has seen how African migrants risk everything to find work elsewhere, often ending up exposed to extreme violence and exploitation. Humanitarian aid is essential but so is creating the conditions for people to live dignified lives in their own countries.
The value of global solidarity
Despite the challenges, Jacques believes people should recognise the solidarity shown through humanitarian action.
‘International solidarity is not about playing saviours,’ he says. ‘It is a true human quality, based on empathy with those who suffer.’
Hope, he admits, has been scarce. Across Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan, the DRC and beyond, civilians have been targeted with unprecedented violence, often with total impunity. Humanitarian action remains indispensable, but it cannot replace respect for human life.
Still, Jacques holds onto a larger hope: that Europe will assert its own path and uphold global solidarity as a core value.
‘The principle of humanity drives our work,’ he says. ‘A world where the dignity and value of every individual come first; that is what our shared humanity deserves.’
