In the name of humanity, on all fronts

In the ruins of a makeshift hospital in Syria, a French doctor calmly explains to young rescuers how to apply a tourniquet. That doctor is Dr. Raphaël Pitti – 75 years old, with a sharp blue gaze behind his glasses – who does not hesitate to train, even under bombardment, those who will save lives. From Syria to Ukraine, via Gaza and Bangladesh, this veteran of war medicine puts his expertise at the service of populations devastated by conflicts. President of the HuSoMe association (Humanity Solidarity Medicine), Raphaël Pitti embodies borderless humanitarian commitment, with storytelling that blends indignation and hope. His name has become synonymous with solidarity, humanitarian resilience, and humanitarian missions, to the point where his notoriety now serves as a lever to give visibility to his association.

“Our humanitarian projects, as well as our local social action, are committed to defending Life through health training, preserving dignity, and upholding humanity. Humanism must be coupled with action, and each and every one of us has a role to play in helping others.” – Raphaël Pitti

War humanitarian physician and witness of international crises

Anesthesiologist and intensive care physician by training, Prof. Raphaël Pitti has built an unusual career. Born in 1950 in Oran (Algeria), he moved to France in 1962 with his family, fleeing the Algerian War. Graduating in medicine in 1978, he became a military doctor and served for 28 years in the French Military Health Service, with missions in Lebanon, the former Yugoslavia, and during the Gulf War. Becoming a specialist in emergency and war medicine, he rose to the rank of chief medical officer (colonel) before retiring from the military in 2004. Raphaël Pitti then continued his vocation at the civil hospital in Nancy as head of the intensive care unit until 2014.

But it was in 2012, and then through ongoing events up to 2021, that his life truly shifted toward humanitarian work: outraged by the Syrian tragedy, he decided to act. From then on, he became involved with UOSSM and later founded HuSoMe, with strong roots in the Grand Est region, in Metz. There, he organizes training sessions, collections, and charity galas to support Syrian children, healthcare workers, and the most vulnerable.

In Syria, he took part in creating care centers in an extreme war situation, notably in Raqqa. There, he faced an alarming health situation marked by child malnutrition, a shortage of medicines, and the collapse of all hospital infrastructure.

In Gaza, he denounces the attacks by the Israeli army on Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, often during Ramadan. In 2023, he actively supported a charitable iftar in Metz to raise donations for children in refugee camps.

In Ukraine, he helped train more than 5,500 healthcare workers in a war zone, as well as establish a care center in Lviv.

In Metz, in 2021, he hosted nurse Imane Maarifi and Imam Abou Omar for a major charity gala, in partnership with local associations, to support families in severe hardship. He often reminds us that urgency is not always on the other side of the world, but also within our own communities.

Raphaël Pitti also traveled to Bangladesh, to the Rohingya camps, where Syrian healthcare systems or emergency standards are often absent. There, he carried out a new mission to train healthcare workers to respond in the context of natural disasters.

HuSoMe: Raphaël Pitti’s association for treating and training

Founded in 2018, HuSoMe aims to provide a solidarity-based and professional response to the suffering of populations. Rooted in the Grand Est, it embodies the values of humanism through a rigorous and committed approach. In 2021, it entered into a partnership with the European Hospital of Nancy to strengthen the logistics of medical shipments. It also develops the IBSAR program to improve access to eye care in war zones.

To give a voice to the forgotten

From Syria to Gaza, from Bangladesh to Metz, Raphaël Pitti connects the battlefields to public platforms. An unsuccessful candidate in the 2022 legislative elections in the Metz constituency, he remains convinced that humanitarian action must not be compartmentalized. Par sa parole, il incarne l’idée que la médecine, lorsqu’elle est solidaire, devient un acte de résistance. Each charity gala, each humanitarian mission, each new initiative bears witness to a struggle for life, for dignity, for justice.

And every shared article, every donation to HuSoMe.org, every personal commitment can help carry this momentum forward. Because, as Raphaël Pitti says: “It is not inaction that will save the world.”