Interview with Christian Katzer from Doctors Without Borders Germany

 Managing Director Christian Katzer, Doctors Without Borders Germany: "It is crucial for us that compassion for those in need in the world does not diminish."
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Image - nomos-glashuette.com

After the release of this year's special edition of mechanical watches for the German section of Doctors Without Borders (above), NOMOS Glashütte spoke with Managing Director Christian Katzer. In the interview, he talked about urgent crisis missions in often overlooked regions, the challenge of triage in just 30 seconds, and how companies can meaningfully support the organization's work..

Mr. Katzer, Doctors Without Borders provides emergency aid in crisis regions around the world. Where do you currently see the most urgent need?
I'm thinking of the people in Sudan, for example. War has been raging there between the Sudanese armed forces and the Rapid Support Forces since April 2023. Bombs are falling every day, people are fleeing, and they have hardly any food. Eleven million people have been displaced by the violence, which is roughly equivalent to the population of Greece. Young children, in particular, are constantly in mortal danger—and yet we in Europe are barely aware of this crisis.
Doctors Without Borders has more than 1,700 employees working in Sudan, providing medical and psychological aid, drinking water, food and relief supplies. In addition, many people have fled from Sudan to Chad and South Sudan. Our teams are also active there and are looking after the refugees. It is very important to me that this crisis receives more attention—as much more needs to be done.
Unrestricted donations allow your organization to help quickly and flexibly exactly where the need is greatest. Can you give us a recent example where these funds have made a decisive difference?
The images from the Gaza Strip are certainly on all of our minds. From the beginning of the war until the end of last year, our teams provided almost half a million outpatient medical examinations and carried out almost ten thousand surgical procedures. We offered psychological first aid, assisted births, and much more. The need was immense, but only a few organizations provided help on the ground. With funds that were not tied to a specific purpose, we were able to respond flexibly to the requirements. The current ceasefire means that more aid supplies can now reach the Gaza Strip, but it must be permanent and stable. People need the chance to rebuild their lives.
NOMOS Glashütte has been supporting Doctors Without Borders for over ten years with limited-edition watches. What significance does such a long-term partnership have for your work?
We always plan on two levels: On the one hand, we think long-term and consider what we want to achieve with which budget in our existing projects. On the other hand, we are prepared for acute emergencies—also financially. Our long-standing partnership with NOMOS helps us to provide capacity for both tracks. What is particularly nice is that such a partnership also underlines shared values and communicates them to the outside world. In this way, we can raise awareness of humanitarian issues in our society and convince other people to support our global work.
The special editions from NOMOS have a red twelve on the dial as a symbol for use in humanitarian emergencies. What role does time play in emergency medical aid?
Time is of the essence when people are in need. We can be in any crisis zone worldwide within 72 hours and launch an emergency operation with specialists, equipment, and medicine. Over the years, we have developed a logistics system for this—with pre-packed and emergency crates already cleared through customs. Time is also very important for our medics. In situations where many injured people arrive at one of our clinics at the same time, they perform what is known as triage: a quick assessment of the urgency of treating each person. They have around 30 seconds to do this. This is because immediate medical treatment can be essential for our patients, for example in emergency operations. Yet two thirds of the world's population have no access to surgical help. This is unacceptable to me, and our teams do their best every day to change this. And time is money, of course, or the other way around: with a donation of 169 euros, for example, we can provide the medication and materials for an operation.
What would you like to say to people or companies who are wondering how they can support Doctors Without Borders in a meaningful way—apart from buying a special-edition watch for their benefit?
Companies can donate money and perhaps even initiate a fundraising campaign together with their employees. This not only raises more funds, it also raises awareness about crisis situations—such as the one in Sudan. Companies can also use their public communication channels to draw attention to crisis regions that receive little attention. Doctors Without Borders, for example, uses the hashtag #TalkAboutSudan to draw attention to the need in Sudan on social media.
It is crucial for us that compassion for those in need in the world does not diminish. In recent years, for example, the war in Ukraine, the Covid-19 pandemic, and the severe earthquakes in Turkey and Syria were occasions when people responded with great support. If we can maintain and strengthen solidarity together in the face of the current major crises—such as the wars in Gaza and Sudan or the increasingly tangible consequences of the climate crisis—that would be great.