Frequently Asked Questions About Aid Work

Yes, but the salary is small. The salary is around €1,500 per month for the first year regardless of the role. After that the salary raises based on experience and on how demanding the role is.

All aid workers will have a medical check before departure. We also cover the required vaccines and medication. MSF covers the aid workers’ flights to the aid work site and back to the country of residence and insures the aid workers against illness and accidents. In the destination we offer accommodation that is often shared with the other aid workers. We also pay a small allowance in the local currency that covers food and necessities.

When looking for a project for you we will consider where your expertise will be needed and your language skills, background and experience. You can’t choose the destination: we will send you where you are needed most.

You can decline a proposed project, but please understand that we mostly work in conflict areas and places where the safety situation is challenging. Our biggest operations are in South Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, Yemen, Iraq, Afghanistan and Nigeria.

Unfortunately, it will not be possible to go to the same place at least the first time, because it is unlikely that there will be two openings for first timers in the same project.

The safety situation in most of our project countries does not allow taking family with you. The aid workers who have a long career in certain countries have been able to take their families or spouses with them.

The safety is important to us and we take it seriously. We have long experience of preventing and dealing with high risk situations. We update our safety instructions and evacuation plans regularly.

The aid workers receive a safety briefing on site and agree to comply with our security rules at all times. We do our best to minimize the risks. However, it is important to understand that working in a conflict area always includes risks.

We require at least two years of professional experience of all our aid workers, so traineeships are unfortunately not possible.