Personal experiences of a UN official

Leerschool, Bart | Paperback / softback | 08-07-2022 | 9789083262673

In 1987, Bart Leerschool leaves together with his wife Irene for the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka. He is deployed by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs to gain experience at the United Nations, in particular the international refugee organisation UNHCR. It is the beginning of a long series of events in a world where refugees are spit out by war and violence and are looking for protection and a dignified existence.

Flight to Mombasa tells the story of Bart: a UN official who had to stand his ground over a period of thirty years in often challenging circumstances. Let yourself be carried away in the practice of refugee work such as during a civil war in Angola, the exodus of Somali refugees to Kenya, the aftermath of the genocide in Rwanda, the outburst of xenophobia in South Africa and the Taliban period in Afghanistan. You also get a glimpse into the personal lives of Bart and his family, whose lives were shaped by their lengthy stays in various countries in Africa, Asia and Europe.