Their life and actions guarantee the safe existence of others. Thanks to their devotion and courage tens, hundreds, thousands of people were spared a terrible fate. Neither wars nor natural disasters nor terrorism can stop them. In Africa, Middle East, Latin America and other ends of the world they invest not only their time, resources and security but also the most valuable – their life – to make the world a better place to live.

David Nott is a Welsh surgeon who works mainly in London hospitals as a general and vascular surgeon, but also volunteers to work in disaster and war zones since 1993. The locations have included Afghanistan, Bosnia, Chad, Darfur, Gaza, Haiti, Iraq, Libya, Sierra Leone and opposition-held areas of Syria.

These people live next to us. They are modern day heroes.