Civil servants working in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office have received the new Humanitarian Medal.
The Humanitarian Medal was announced in July 2023 by the Cabinet Office to recognise public servants – and members of organisations that contribute on behalf of the government, such as charities – which respond in support of human welfare during or in the aftermath of a crisis.
The Cabinet Office has announced that the first medals will be awarded to eligible individuals who assisted with the government's responses to: the earthquake in Morocco in September 2023; the flooding in Libya in September 2023; and the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
Thirty people have been awarded the medal in the first round of recipients to be announced, including FCDO staff. Civil servants from other departments are set to be recognised in future lists, CSW understands.
The UK response to the earthquake which struck the south of Marrakech “included activity from over 100 individuals from UK International Search and Rescue, the UK’s Emergency Medical Team UK-Med, MoD, FCDO officials based in Rabat and Marrakech, British Council, Humanitarian Response Group (HRG), and Humanitarian Stabilisation Operations Team (HSOT) colleagues”, a Cabinet Office document says.
Eligible individuals for the medal took part in the response between 9 September 2023 and 19 September 2023 in the Marrakech-Safi (Marrakech, Al Haouz and Chichaoua provinces) and Sous Massa Region (Taroudannt province) of Morocco with a minimum service of 48 hours. They will receive a Humanitarian Medal with a clasp that reads "Morocco".
For Storm Daniel, which hit Libya in September 2023, eligible individuals worked on the government's response between 11 September 2023 and 31 March 2024, in the region from Bersis in the west to Tobruk in the east of Libya and from the coast in the north to Al mkheley in the south of Libya, with a minimum service of 14 days. They will receive a Humanitarian Medal with a clasp that reads "Libya".
For the ongoing crisis in Gaza, the Cabinet Office said the government has worked with a range of organisations to deliver lifesaving aid for a huge number of Gazans in the most desperate need. UK-Med, for example, has treated over 250,000 sick and wounded people by operating field hospitals and emergency facilities in existing hospitals.
Eligible individuals have worked on the response since 7 October 2023 within the Gaza Strip, Jerusalem, Ramallah, East Jerusalem, Egypt, Jordan, Cyprus, or as maritime personnel operating in the Eastern Mediterranean, with a minimum service of 14 days.
Government departments make recommendations for eligible humanitarian responses, with medal awards then submitted to the King for approval.
Pat McFadden, the chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said: “All of the individuals being recognised today are shining examples of public service. Their selfless dedication to saving lives represents the very best of British values around the world. The nation thanks them for their work.”