Japanese humanitarian Sadako Ogata was the first female to be appointed UN High Commissioner for Refugees. She was nicknamed “refugees’ champion” by BBC News, and “five-foot giant” by her UN colleagues. She will be remembered for her zeal to protect the” defenceless and dispossessed”. Especially during her time in the role from 1991 to 2000. Her death is a wake-up call to refugee rights advocates to stand up for vulnerable people.

Harvard Law remarked: “distinguished as one of the top 10 most influential women in the world during that time, most of Ogata’s negotiating on behalf of the world’s dispossessed was low-profile and unheralded, conducted in a vigorous, hands-on manner that often placed her in harm’s way on the front lines of conflict”.

What did Sadako Ogata do for refugees?

Sadako Ogata’s effort to help Kurdish refugees who fled Iraq after the Gulf War is commendable. In the same way, we cannot undermine her human actions during the Balkans War. Her comments to the Japan Times in 2005 were categorically critical. She said, “I didn’t really know what I was getting into, because what happened after I took up the office was very different from what everyone assumed would happen in the world.” This was after she took office.

Similarly, we cannot ignore her international involvement in large-scale operations. Particularly, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and the Great Lakes region of Africa..

She was the former dean and professor of the faculty of foreign studies at Sophia University in Tokyo, 1989. She wrote the book “The Turbulent Decade – Confronting the Refugee Crises of the 1990s” during this time. There she described, “[The] UNHCR worked like fire brigades through all the continents of the world.” She added, “My concern was always centred on providing security to the refugees and giving them opportunities to lead happier lives.”

What do people think about Sadako Ogata?

Condemning Japan, in a 2015 Reuters interview, she said, “Japan has to set up a situation to welcome people… those who are in need, in serious need… I think we should be open to bringing them in.” She oversaw Japan’s assistance in developing countries whilst she was head of the Japan International Agency from 2003 to 2012.

A UNHCR staffer, Johan Cels said, “She would first listen to the refugees’ voices and then negotiate with local political leaders,” as he described how caring Sadako was. That was during an interview with the Japan Times.

Also, the National Constitution Centre of the U.S. awarded her the Philadelphia Liberty Medal. It was because of her role for “leadership in the pursuit of freedom.” They remarked, “There is no greater champion and activist on behalf of the refugees of the world than Mrs. Ogata.”

In a 2015 UN article, she said, “I have often been asked from where I draw my energy, I often think of all the refugees whom I met in camps, in villages, in reception centers, in shantytowns. I believe that what has kept me going is the conviction that our collective efforts can turn the terror and pain of exile into the safety and unity of family and friends.”

Recommendations

Given the significant surge in refugee populations amidst a world marked by conflicts, the urgent call for individuals akin to Sadako Ogata is unmistakable. While her passing brings about a poignant sense of loss, it also imparts upon us a profound wellspring of inspiration.

In a climate where certain governments and politicians exploit the refugee crisis for their own gains, the imperative for philanthropic souls is pronounced.

This is the time for humanitarians and academicians to rise and support refugees.

This article was originally published on November 5, 2019. To read similar articles, click on this link.