Over the past three months, Becker has traveled and negotiated, organizing transport of those rescued from Ukraine “to a safe haven at Janow Podlaski in Poland.” The journey to Poland with the rescued individuals lasted a grueling 22 hours. Becker states of the trip, “much of it [was] in pitch darkness as the blackout blinds had to be closed to prevent the train from being targeted by Russian forces.” [ii]

Sally Becker received the nickname ‘Angel of Mostar’ during the Bosnian war in 1993. She rescued hundreds beginning by driving an old ambulance “across the front line in war-torn Bosnia-Herzegovi.” During the battle, Becker evacuated injured children and their families. In 2017, Becker continued risking her freedom as she entered Mosul in Northern Iraq, again attempting to bring injured children and their families to safety. [iii]

Over the years, Becker has dedicated her life to rescuing those stranded in war-torn countries. She launched the charity Operation Angel and “began organizing aid missions to the region, taking care to help all sides.” In the late 1990s, Becker led a mission to Albania. During this mission, Becker served a month in a Serbian jail. She was also shot in the leg during this time by a masked gunman. [iv]

Although established with good intentions, Operation Angel’s “larger operations proved problematic.” Becker states she was unable to properly screen the volunteers saying that some were “obstructive, [and] some also complained to the media about their lives being put in danger and about poor organization.”

In an attempt to “protect the brand of Operation Angel,” Becker resigned and resumed working solo. She continued her rescue work and successfully brought many to safety over the years. [v]

References

[i] Emily Braeger, Aid worker ‘Angel of Mostar’ rescues 164 women and children from Ukraine horror, (Aug. 17, 2022)

[ii] Id.

[iii] Rosa Silverman, The Angel of Mostar is back – and on a mission to rescue Ukrainian orphans, (Mar. 22, 2022)

[iv] Miriam Shaviv, Sally Becker went where angels fear to tread, (May 11, 2013)

[v] Id.