Dr Lim Chin Siah, a 46-year-old Singapore permanent resident and emergency doctor, has volunteered with Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) in some of the world's most dangerous war zones, including Gaza and Sudan [1, 2, 3, 4].
In February 2026, Dr Lim returned from a three-month mission in Gaza, where he treated injured patients amid widespread destruction caused by ongoing conflict [1, 2, 3, 4]. He witnessed the harsh realities of war firsthand, recalling a 12-year-old Palestinian boy whose parents died in a bombing. The boy suffered a foot injury that worsened due to infection and lack of antibiotics, leading to multiple amputations until removal mid-thigh. Dr Lim said, "I remember his resilience. He was still so cheerful, still positive" [1].
During his time in Gaza, Dr Lim described extreme dangers including constant bombings, food shortages, and the loss of homes and loved ones. Yet, he said his colleagues "don’t complain or whine. They don’t bring their problems to work, and their problems are huge. They still try to give me small things, like coffee or tea, even when they have nothing and food is very scarce" [1].
He also described the terrifying conditions during hospital rounds: "I was a bit shocked, but my colleagues just carried on with the ward round, like normal. During our rounds, you can hear air strikes and shootings going on. This is their daily life for the past few years" [1].
Since 2013, Dr Lim has served on 17 different Doctors Without Borders projects in war zones including Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Ukraine, and Pakistan [1, 2, 3, 4]. He began his volunteer work with a mission to Pakistan that year [1, 2, 3, 4].
Dr Lim continues to provide frontline emergency care amid conflict and plans further missions with Doctors Without Borders in the months ahead [1, 2, 3, 4].
