Sally Becker's missions to help the sick and wounded in Bosnia are now famous. Moved by the images of suffering, she set off to the war torn region determined to try and help. Based on the outskirts of Mostar, a city where Croats and Muslims were fighting for control, Sally began by delivering aid to the west side and soon became a familiar sight as she drove in and out of the city in an old Renault 4. As one of the few foreign aid workers allowed to travel in the area, she was asked by a UN officer to try and gain access to the east side of the city where 50,000 Bosnian Muslims were trapped. Sally convinced the Croats to lend her an ambulance and she crossed the front line under fire to evacuate wounded children and their families from the besieged hospital. The mission was successful and she became known as the Angel of Mostar. Sally continued her work throughout the war, bringing humanitarian aid to besieged areas and evacuating the wounded from all sides.
When the war spread to Kosovo, Sally and her volunteers brought aid to both sides but as the conflict escalated, the aid agencies pulled out and the borders were closed. Sally crossed the mountains on foot to bring medical supplies to a hospital in Junik, a town surrounded by Serb forces. Whilst there, she was asked to help some injured children and their families to escape across the mountains but as they reached the border, the group was ambushed by Serb paramilitaries. While the rest of them escaped into the forest, Sally remained behind to help a woman and her two children who were caught in the crossfire. They were forced to surrender and were placed under arrest. The woman and her children were soon released but Sally was sentenced to thirty days in prison.
Sally was pardoned after serving only fifteen days and upon her release, she traced the families to a refugee camp in Northern Albania. As she set about trying to arrange medical treatment for the children, Sally was shot by masked gunmen outside her hotel. The President of Albania sent a helicopter to fly her to safety but she refused to abandon the children, remaining in the area until her mission was completed.
In July 1999 Sally became a mother but she continued her work on behalf of victims of war. She opened centers for women and children suffering from trauma and in 2006 she brought aid to people trapped on the Israel Lebanon border. In 2009, Sally became a Goodwill Ambassador to "Children of Peace", a multi-faith charity dedicated to building friendship, trust and reconciliation between Israeli and Palestinian children.
Sally is available for speaking engagements. Please click here to make an enquiry.