Micheál Ryan, Chief Engineer, WFP
Micheál ‘Mick’ Ryan, Chief Engineer with WFP, helped bring assistance to vulnerable people in Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Ethiopia, and more recently, in Bangladesh.
A father of two, Mick was from County Clare in Ireland. He worked in reconstruction and rehabilitation but also capacity building – showing communities how to help themselves. He firmly believed in involving people - so they could take ownership and pride in their achievements, as well as learn new skills.
During the 2014-16 Ebola outbreak in Liberia, Mick built medical centres to treat those with the virus and prevent others from being infected. To achieve this, he had construction sites operating at all hours for six weeks.
Recently in Bangladesh, Mick not only organized the building of shelters and infrastructure, he also supported the stabilization of the ground and planned evacuations, which saved tens of thousands of Rohingya refugees from the threat of landslides and floods.
Mick’s humanitarian efforts and commitment were, as his colleagues put it, exemplary. His enthusiasm was infectious, drawing everyone to him – his team, colleagues, clients and the communities he served.
His co-workers say he had a talent for identifying skills and bringing people together; he could communicate with everyone – from royalty on a field visit to labourers on site.
On the point of celebrating his 40th birthday, Mick’s colleagues say he would have continued to bring his courage and compassion to humanitarian crises around the world.
Biographical information and photo provided by WFP.