They are the undisputed heroes in every crisis. From natural disasters, to violent conflict, humanitarian aid workers are often the first in and usually the last to leave. They risk their lives to help the helpless but until now few knew they sometimes also risk their values and ethics. From Afghanistan to Sri Lanka, three of Medecins San Frontiers' front line workers expose the compromises they choose to make for the greater good.

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Part Two of The Current

Humanitarian aid workers facing uncomfortable compromises

When humanitarian workers arrive at a crisis, they do so with the idea of helping those in need. Anything else -- politics, greed, self-interest-- is supposed to fall by the wayside. The trouble is that it often doesn't. After all, humanitarian workers frequently end up in places that have been torn apart by exactly those things. And that means they have to make challenging, controversial and potentially life-altering decisions every day.

Medicines Sans Frontiers, or Doctors Without Borders, is marking its 40th anniversary with a collection of stories exposing what it's like to confront those difficult decisions. The book is called Humanitarian Negotiations Revealed: The MSF Experience and it comes out later this month.

The Current's Liz Hoath spoke to three of the book's contributors, Michael Neuman, Claire Magone and Michiel Hofmanand and shares their stories in her documentary, Uncomfortable Compromises.

Related Link:

• Médecins sans Frontières book reveals aid agencies' ugly compromises By: Peter Beaumont - The Guardian

Other segments from today's show:

• Moving forward after the Liberal Convention
• The influential reach of Canada's same-sex marriage laws