THE LONGEST OF DAYS

Dunkirk, 01.07.26

We arrived in northern France to warm sunny weather, tempered by a welcome breeze. Ten days ago, it was midsummer but today felt the longest of days. This morning brought another eviction at the living sites while shops were dismantled, adding to an already tense situation for people on the move.

Arriving at the distribution site with the Médecins du Monde Hauts-de-France  mobile clinic, queues quickly formed for the doctor and nurse, with people bringing a range of ailments and injuries. The large numbers meant that there was a cumulatively long wait for each person’s turn, calmly facilitated by the wider Médecins du Monde team.

Most of those who waited with us in the psychosocial activities van were from Somalia, and The Community Table was fully activated. Today we saw more women in a single session in this setting than we could remember previously, their ages ranging from early 20’s to mid 50’s. There was a sense of an extended family, a mother taking on another mother’s child while they were seeing the doctor, while others kept track of whose turn it was next.

Drawing and conversation helped to ground and support the adults, while children played with the plasticine and a little boy tried to make a car out of paper. We were struck by how able everybody was to hold it together; even children showed undue patience.

Looking together at postcards of animals led to playful animal impersonations, including goat sounds from an older woman with a twinkle in her eye who had a goat farm at home. As people translated for us and each other, those around the table could access the conversations which felt alive and rich. Simple interactions throughout the afternoon brought everybody to life in a multi-dimensional way.

The afternoon was long with so many people to see. In this harsh landscape, where waiting in limbo is a necessary pastime for people on the move, we witnessed many brief glimmers.

Words by Miriam Usiskin & Bobby Lloyd.

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