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The team behind Doctors in Need

Mounir Samuel and Tjitske Visser are the initiators of Doctors in Need. Together with hundreds of committed donors, they work to support medical professionals in need in Gaza.

With the Doctors in Need foundation, we provide medical healthcare professionals not only with financial support but also with moral guidance, enabling them to continue caring for their patients even in the most inhumane circumstances.

The Doctors in Need Foundation was recently established, with a board composed of professionals from diverse backgrounds. Below, they briefly introduce themselves. Our mission follows after that. We are currently working on setting up a business bank account and obtaining ANBI status (for Dutch donation).

Mounir Samuel –
Founder and Strategic Director

Mounir Samuel is a political scientist, journalist, and author of titles such as Jona zonder walvis and Nederland voor de NederlandersHe does not shy away from difficult conversations in his work and life, focusing specifically on social revolutions and societal change. Mounir works at the intersections of politics, climate, gender, media, language, art and culture, religion, and society. 

Read more about Mounir Samuel on his website or on LinkedIn.

Our board members

Sabine Netters
Chair

Founder of Carend, internist-oncologist and palliative care specialist. A thinker and a doer.

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Hatem Al Farra
GENERAL BOARD MEMBER

Experienced doctor with Palestinian roots, making the impossible possible

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Aynur Hasanzadeh
Secretary

Policy advisor and positive impact maker

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Martijn Winnen
Treasurer

Socially engaged real estate entrepreneur

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Mission of the Doctors in Need Foundation

Doctors in Need is a beacon of hope, life, and support for the people of Gaza.

This includes concrete projects that provide Palestinians in Gaza with financial relief, professional recognition, emotional and mental support, visibility, safety, and the restoration of rights.

Doctors in Need is a dynamic foundation that anticipates and responds to the constantly changing developments and circumstances in Gaza. The needs and urgencies of the Palestinian people are always central. Doctors in Need works according to the principles of decolonization and decoloniality. This means that Palestinians are treated as equal partners, the usual donor–recipient dynamic is disrupted, and Palestinians in Gaza are given as much public visibility and space as possible. 

Doctors in Need carries the tayara as its logo. This is a six-sided kite that plays a unique role in the social life and community structures of Gaza. The tayara symbolizes hope, peace, boundlessness, dreams, and freedom. It is inspired by the spirit of the Palestinian poet Rafaat Alareer and his famous poem… If I must die…Doctors in Need seeks to launch new kites and, with them, to tell a new story — one that brings hope. 

We are committed to giving hope and providing assistance to as many Palestinians in Gaza as possible through strategic initiatives. We also work to amplify the voices and stories from Gaza by supporting campaigns, literature, arts and culture projects, social media efforts, and dedicated online and offline group gatherings. 

By building resilient action–response committees in both Gaza and the Netherlands, we create a lifeline that allows Doctors in Need to transcend distance, occupation, separation walls, and blockades — both on the ground and in our own minds. Our goal is to help keep Palestinians in Gaza alive wherever possible and to support a life of dignity, whether in Gaza itself or beyond. 

Finally, Doctors in Need strives for democratic and transparent governance principles, with an independent board and a broad, diverse network of volunteers. We also aim to create opportunities for direct contact between Dutch volunteers and donors and the Palestinians in Gaza themselves. 

Policy documents & accountability

Download Beleidsplan 2026