Sally Becker
Encyclopedia
Sally Becker is an author and former leader of Operation Angel
, a British convoy
in Kosovo
(not to be confused with the American charity or any of the other many Operation Angel entities known worldwide). She has spent time volunteering in Bosnia and Kosovo
and is credited with at one time saving 170 people there.
She was given permission to bring aid and evacuate the wounded from all sides of the conflict and in December 1993, she led a convoy of 50 vehicles and 200 volunteers from Britain
and together with the UNHCR, they evacuated 98 wounded from besieged areas.
She returned to Bosnia a few weeks later in order to carry out her promise to evacuate 28 wounded children and their families who hadn't made it onto the UN list.
Sally arranged the delivery of humanitarian aid to children on both sides of the conflict. In June 1998, she and her volunteers brought aid to Northern Albania where thousands of refugees had crossed the border to escape the fighting. She was approached by the UNHCR who asked her to try and locate 120 refugees believed to be trapped in the forest. Armed with a radio provided by the OSCE, she crossed the mountains on foot, carrying paediatric medicines to Junik
, a town surrounded by Serb forces. Whilst there,she found sick and wounded children sheltering beneath the rubble of their homes.She was asked to take the children and their families across the mountains to safety. As they prepared to leave, three Italian journalists begged to accompany them as there was no other way out. Together with fifteen children and their families they proceeded to climb the mountain towards the border but as they gathered in the dusk waiting to cross to Albania, they were ambushed by Serb paramilitaries.The rest of the group fled to safety but Sally stayed to help a woman and her two young children who were trapped. They remained there for over an hour, but as a helicopter gun ship flew overhead, they had no choice but to surrender. They were taken across country to Djakova where the family was then released. Sally was interrogated and sentenced to thirty days in prison. In September she traced the families to a refugee camp in Albania (and found many others in need of medical help). Some of the families were issued visas for the United States, but while she was trying to secure places for those remaining, she was shot by masked gunmen. The President of Albania
sent a helicopter to evacuate her but she refused to abandon the children, remaining there for several weeks, until the mission was completed.
Sally is a Goodwill Ambassador
for Children of Peace.
Operation Angel
Operation Angel is an Australian, independent non-profit organisation founded by Jacqueline Pascarl. Originally founded with the aim of restoring dignity to women and children in war torn countries, Operation Angel is now involved in disaster relief on a broader basis, recently the destructive...
, a British convoy
Convoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval...
in Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
(not to be confused with the American charity or any of the other many Operation Angel entities known worldwide). She has spent time volunteering in Bosnia and Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
and is credited with at one time saving 170 people there.
Volunteering in Bosnia
In May 1993, Sally decided to go to Bosnia to help innocent victims of war. She began by delivering medical aid and food to the small Jewish community in Mostar and through them, she was given permission by Croat commanders to evacuate wounded Bosnian children and their families from the besieged side of the city. Following this evacuation she was dubbed The Angel of Mostar.She was given permission to bring aid and evacuate the wounded from all sides of the conflict and in December 1993, she led a convoy of 50 vehicles and 200 volunteers from Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and together with the UNHCR, they evacuated 98 wounded from besieged areas.
She returned to Bosnia a few weeks later in order to carry out her promise to evacuate 28 wounded children and their families who hadn't made it onto the UN list.
Struggles in Kosovo
When the war spread to KosovoKosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
Sally arranged the delivery of humanitarian aid to children on both sides of the conflict. In June 1998, she and her volunteers brought aid to Northern Albania where thousands of refugees had crossed the border to escape the fighting. She was approached by the UNHCR who asked her to try and locate 120 refugees believed to be trapped in the forest. Armed with a radio provided by the OSCE, she crossed the mountains on foot, carrying paediatric medicines to Junik
Junik
Junik is a municipality and small town in the Đakovica district of western Kosovo. It is located in the west Metohija between Dečani and Đakovica along Kosovo's mountainous border with Albania. It is populated with ethnic Albanians...
, a town surrounded by Serb forces. Whilst there,she found sick and wounded children sheltering beneath the rubble of their homes.She was asked to take the children and their families across the mountains to safety. As they prepared to leave, three Italian journalists begged to accompany them as there was no other way out. Together with fifteen children and their families they proceeded to climb the mountain towards the border but as they gathered in the dusk waiting to cross to Albania, they were ambushed by Serb paramilitaries.The rest of the group fled to safety but Sally stayed to help a woman and her two young children who were trapped. They remained there for over an hour, but as a helicopter gun ship flew overhead, they had no choice but to surrender. They were taken across country to Djakova where the family was then released. Sally was interrogated and sentenced to thirty days in prison. In September she traced the families to a refugee camp in Albania (and found many others in need of medical help). Some of the families were issued visas for the United States, but while she was trying to secure places for those remaining, she was shot by masked gunmen. The President of Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
sent a helicopter to evacuate her but she refused to abandon the children, remaining there for several weeks, until the mission was completed.
Sally is a Goodwill Ambassador
Goodwill Ambassador
Goodwill Ambassador is a collective term sometimes used as a substitute honorific title or a title of honor for an Ambassador of Goodwill; but, most appropriately for a generic recognition, it is a job position or description that is usually indicated following the name of the individual recognized...
for Children of Peace.
External links
- www.itnsource.com
- the later part of this story
- http://www.sallybecker.co.uk
- http://www.bje.org.au/learning/people/famous/heroes.html*
- http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1145565/Angel-Mostar-The-debt-I-owe-tragic-Major-lost-1million-life-savings-Madoff-swindle.html
- http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/the-difference-a-brit-makes-577330.html
- http://www.islamicity.com/articles/Articles.asp?ref=AN9507-147
- http://www.childrenofpeace.org.uk/charity-ambassadors.html
- http://www.nfo.ac.uk/collections/records/0013-0002-5078-0000-0-0000-0000-0.html
- http://www.theargus.co.uk/.../4753480.Angel_of_Mostar_s_tearful_reunion/
- http://books.google.com/books?id=nsWltU1Wwn4C&pg=PA119&lpg=PA119&dq=sally+becker+tom+gallagher&source
- http://articles.cnn.com/1998-11-15/world/9811_15_yugo.kosovo_1_kosovo-clashes-international-verification-force-kosovo-liberation-army-kla/2?_s=PM:WORLD
- http://www.bje.org.au/learning/people/famous/heroes.html
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPVksjbu-KQ
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uJu2KnqUlQ&feature=player_embedded
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpFxu6q4glA