International Medical Corps International Medical Corps http://imcworldwide.org/ Sun, 11 May 2008 22:22:31 GMT SyntaxCMS via FeedCreator 1.7.2 Los Angeles Times: Smart Aid to Myanmar http://imcworldwide.org/content/resource/detail/1771/ Fri, 09 May 2008 17:00:00 GMT A boy in front of his home destroyed by cyclone Nargis. http://imcworldwide.org/content/media/detail/1770/ Thu, 08 May 2008 21:45:00 GMT People taking refuge under thier house after Myanmar Cyclone. http://imcworldwide.org/content/media/detail/1769/ Thu, 08 May 2008 21:30:00 GMT Latina Magazine: Mountain Climber Georgina Miranda is Taking Her Passion to New Heights http://imcworldwide.org/content/resource/detail/1768/ Wed, 07 May 2008 14:15:00 GMT International Medical Corps Doctors Receive Prestigious Award; Niarchos Prize Recognizes ... http://imcworldwide.org/content/article/detail/1767/
Iraqi physician Dr. Tariq Hasoon, and Afghanistan’s “Dr. Wranga” (for security reasons she prefers to remain anonymous) were honored at a May 6 ceremony in New York, presided by the actor S. Epatha Merkerson.

As a Community Midwife Education Officer with International Medical Corps in eastern Afghanistan - one of the country’s most insecure and volatile areas - Dr. Wranga has exhibited immense personal courage in devoting her life to improving the health of Afghanistan’s neediest people.

Since 2005, Dr. Wranga, a mother of four, has been at the forefront of developing and implementing an education and training program for midwives that focuses on delivery, pre- and post-natal care, and other services essential in delivering healthy babies while minimizing the risk to the mother. As a result, during the first 17 months of Dr. Wranga’s work with International Medical Corps, 30 midwives graduated from the program in a region where women face the endemic cycle of early marriage, repeated pregnancy and poverty.

Dr. Wranga has faced great personal risk as she has worked to ensure that the most hard-to-reach and needy people receive appropriate health care, in the process becoming a powerful role model for other women in a community where female doctors are extremely rare.

Dr. Tariq Hasoon, a father of three who has worked with International Medical Corps in Baghdad since just after the war began, has likewise performed heroically under extremely dangerous conditions.

Dr. Hasoon led an emergency response team in Tal Afar, organizing and providing medical services to displaced families and those who needed emergency assistance, and re-establishing the entire primary health care system. He entered Tal Afar during particularly intense fighting and delivered medical assistance to people unable to leave the area.

Dr. Hasoon’s achievements are especially notable given he is working with an international non-governmental organization (INGO); INGOs are viewed by some in Iraq as branches or affiliates of the multi-national military forces, making Dr. Hasoon’s efforts all the more dangerous.

“My work provides me with the opportunity to see the difference that these humanitarian programs are making,” said Dr. Hasoon. “Being in the field talking to communities, while mitigating the gap between government and the people they should serve – creating a better understanding between the two - provides me with the passion that keeps me going.”

The Niarchos Prize recognizes outstanding efforts to alleviate suffering and promote resilience among the victims of war, violence, civil strife and terrorism. Other prize recipients are The Military Child Education Coalition and Bob and Lee Woodruff, authors of “In an Instant.”


Since its inception in 1984, International Medical Corps’ mission has been clear: Relieve the suffering of those affected by war, natural disaster, and disease by delivering vital health care services that focus on training. Passing on essential skills that help people help themselves is critical if those hit by tragedy are to return to self-reliance. IMC is among the four percent of U.S. charities that have received a four-star rating over four consecutive years by Charity Navigator, America's premier independent charity evaluator.

]]> Wed, 07 May 2008 12:00:00 GMT Mothers Slide Show http://imcworldwide.org/content/media/detail/1766/ Wed, 07 May 2008 06:30:00 GMT Boy standing in cyclone flooding http://imcworldwide.org/content/media/detail/1765/ Tue, 06 May 2008 15:00:00 GMT People collecting water on street http://imcworldwide.org/content/media/detail/1764/ Tue, 06 May 2008 14:30:00 GMT People travel by boat after cyclone http://imcworldwide.org/content/media/detail/1763/ Tue, 06 May 2008 14:30:00 GMT Preparing for the Worst in Karbala, Iraq http://imcworldwide.org/content/article/detail/1761/ Photo: IMC Improving life-saving management skills, International Medical Corps helps Karbala authorities to plan for devastating events. May 1, 2008, Baghdad, Iraq - International Medical Corps (IMC) in partnership with the governorate of Karbala kicked off a series of crisis management training courses last week. Fifty high-level representatives from the local ministries of health, national security, migration, labor, tourism, electricity, civil defense, as well as senior delegates from the Iraqi police and other governorates, attended the first session.

Over the next two months the course will cover a variety of topics that will support local authorities to improve planning for crises and enable them to manage devastating scenarios efficiently. The inclusive approach will develop the quality of leadership, decision making, communication, and outreach to civil society under demanding circumstances.

“Bringing this training to Karbala is a major success for all sides,” says Bushra Hassan Ashor, deputy chairwoman of the Karbala provincial council. “Everybody agrees that this course will help us to better coordinate our efforts in case of a crisis. We will be able to save more lives and manage emergencies more efficiently.”

The southwest city of Karbala has experienced some of the deadliest attacks over the last four years. Widely renowned for being one of the holiest cities for Shia Muslims and a leading destination for millions of pilgrims each year, the city has also become a major target for sectarian violence.

In March 2004, on the holy day of Ashura, when up to two million worshippers visited the city, an assault killed 110 people and injured about 230. In January 2006 a suicide bomber killed at least 60 people and injured more than 100 near a Shia shrine. Scores have been killed and injured during attacks in 2006 and 2007.

Local administration and health services have been overwhelmed by the sudden demand for medical assistance and recognized the need for specific training to enhance its capacity. International Medical Corps conducted a similar training in Najaf last year and hopes to adapt it for other governorates in the nearer future. Emergency preparedness has been at the heart of an IMC multi-month initiative in Mosul where government officials have now drawn up a crisis plan for the Mosul dam.

“We are pleased that the Iraqi authorities and International Medical Corps managed to organize this training course jointly and through a cost-sharing model. It shows how important it is to the government to deliver services to people in need,” says Agron Ferati, International Medical Corps country director in Iraq. “The need for this kind of assistance exists in almost every corner of Iraq. Despite the recent improvements in security, Iraqis need to be prepared to deal with setbacks.”

The course was designed by International Medical Corps in cooperation with local counterparts. A highly skilled team of public and business administration professionals employed by IMC is conducting the training and supports decision makers in implementing efficient procedures. Karbala authorities have now decided to establish crisis management cells in all relevant authorities that will feed information to ministerial center during future emergencies.

Capacity training is a core element of International Medical Corps’ work in Iraq. IMC has successfully implemented a strategy that addresses immediate human needs while promoting the ability of local and central authorities to improve governance and service delivery. IMC is also running a number of other capacity building and service improvement programs within the Ministries of Migration, Labor and Social Affairs, and Health - including managerial and professional development programs - by bringing international specialists into the country to train local counterparts from all over Iraq.


Contact:
In Baghdad: Natalia Cieslik 964 7707934663
In Los Angeles: Stephanie Bowen 001 310 8267800]]> Tue, 06 May 2008 03:15:00 GMT International Medical Corps Deploying Emergency Response Team for Victims of Myanmar Cyclone http://imcworldwide.org/content/article/detail/1759/ IN THE NEWS:
LA TIMES recommends IMC to those seeking to donate to cyclone relief efforts

Photo: REUTERS/Stringer
A boy plays in front of his home destroyed by cyclone Nargis at a Myanmar town of Bogalay, southwest of Yangon May 8, 2008.
International Medical Corps (IMC) is mobilizing resources to respond with emergency relief to the survivors of Cyclone Nargis that hit Myanmar last weekend. The government has raised its death toll estimate to over 22,000 but the top U.S. diplomat in the country has said it could exceed 100,000. More than 40,000 are still missing. Those figures would make this cyclone the worst natural disaster in Asia since the 2004 tsunami. The U.N. World Food Program estimates that up to one million people are homeless. IMC is identifying the most immediate needs of the cyclone victims, primarily the lack of vital resources like clean water and food, and how best to deliver them to those most in need.


International Medical Corps is deploying an emergency response team that will help address urgent health needs as well as distribute medical supplies, water purification tablets, sanitation items and hygiene kits. IMC has identified local partners through which it will channel its assistance during the initial stages of the response. With many of Myanmar’s roads impassable due to flooding and debris, IMC is also working to identify logistical supply lines to the hardest hit areas.

“The magnitude of this disaster demands immediate and massive humanitarian assistance for the people of Myanmar,” says Nancy Aossey, President & CEO of International Medical Corps. “We are only beginning to grasp the full scope of this catastrophe and each hour that passes without needs being addressed can literally mean the difference between life and death.”

Photo: REUTERS/Stringer
People stay under their house after cyclone Nargis hit the town of Phyar Pon near Bogalay, southwest of Yangon May 8, 2008.
Without shelter, food, and clean water, people are more exposed to diarrheal illnesses and parasitic infections. In the case of tropical storms, the risk of dengue fever and malaria also rises, as flooding not only increases the number of mosquito breeding grounds, but also their proximity to people.

International Medical Corps has been building local disaster response capacity in the region, specifically in Indonesia, since the 2004 Tsunami, and is planning its response in coordination with longstanding Indonesian emergency response partners.

The worst natural disaster in Myanmar in decades, the 10-hour storm packed winds up to 130 miles per hour. It pummeled five areas, including its largest city, Rangoon, and its rice-growing region, the Irrawaddy Delta. With six states declared disaster zones, the government has established an emergency committee headed by the Prime Minister and has asked the international community for help in its relief effort. After destroying much of its agriculture, the cyclone is also likely to increase Myanmar’s food insecurity in a time of rising food costs.

Since its inception nearly 25 years ago, International Medical Corps’ mission has been consistent: relieve the suffering of those impacted by war, natural disaster and disease, by delivering vital health care services that focus on training. This approach of helping people help themselves is critical to returning devastated populations to self-reliance. For more information visit our website at www.imcworldwide.org.]]> Tue, 06 May 2008 02:30:00 GMT IMC Congressional Testimony http://imcworldwide.org/content/media/detail/1758/ Statement of Mr. Rabih Torbay


]]> Mon, 05 May 2008 17:45:00 GMT International Medical Corps Executive Testifies Before Congress; Repeats Call for Humanitarian ... http://imcworldwide.org/content/article/detail/1757/
“Failure to increase our efforts to alleviate this suffering would not just be morally irresponsible; it would be politically counterproductive,” International Medical Corps’ Vice President of International Operations Rabih Torbay told members of two subcommittees of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs at a May 1st hearing.

Torbay, who shares responsibility for oversight and operations of International Medical Corps’ programs in Iraq and just recently returned from a ten-day trip to Baghdad, repeated a call IMC first made last November for a “humanitarian surge”, telling the hearing that, “now, six months later, the need for such a surge has only intensified”.

He noted that the $254 million so far given for all relief aid and services in Iraq over the past five years would fund less than 48 hours of US military spending in the country.

The congressional hearing, that included members of the Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia and the Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Rights and Oversight, was called to shed more light on the current conditions of those Iraqi civilians forced to flee their homes amid the turmoil of sectarian warfare and a virulent insurgency. In addition to those displaced inside Iraq, more than 2 million Iraqis have left the country for refuge, mainly in Syria, Jordan and Lebanon, where International Medical Corps also works.

Taken together, the number of Iraqi IDPs and refugees constitute one of the world’s largest single populations uprooted by armed conflict. International Medical Corps is one of a very few international non-government organizations that has worked on the ground in Iraq delivering aid continuously since early 2003, in all of the country’s 18 governorates.

“There has been considerable focus over the past five years on rebuilding Iraq’s physical infrastructure, but now it is time to focus on humanitarian needs and on rebuilding the country’s human capital,” Torbay added.

Torbay cited Iraqi government statistics that showed 82% of the country’s IDPs are women or children, over 80% do not have jobs and many lack the very basics of life, including shelter, health care, education, electricity, water, and sanitation.

Representative Bill Delahunt (D-Mass), who chairs the Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Rights and Oversight, said he embraced Torbay’s proposal for a humanitarian surge, describing the idea as, “very timely”.

Torbay recommended an immediate increase in the funding for the United States Agency of International Development’s Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA), which he called the most effective donor agency in dealing with the needs of Iraq’s displaced. He also:
• urged international humanitarian aid and development groups to work more closely with relevant Iraqi government ministries to share know-how, build their capacity and challenge them to better help their own people;
• recommended greater coordination between the many different donor arms of the US Government and more flexibility in the types of activities they would support in order to close the gap between emergency relief and longer term development.

“The needs of Iraq’s displaced do not easily fit into tightly defined boxes,” he said.

While there were differences among members of the panel, mainly along party lines, about the pace of resettling Iraqi refugees in the United States, both Republicans and Democrats agreed it was critical to address the humanitarian needs of IDPs and refugees and that efforts should be made for the Iraqi government to tap its large budget surplus to begin financing some its people’s critical needs, both in Iraq and in the region.

Delahunt and Chairman of the Middle East & South Asia Subcommittee, Gary L. Ackerman, (D-NY), argued that it was also in America’s interest to help the displaced.

“This isn’t just about altruism and doing the right thing,” Delahunt said. “This is about the security of the United States. We’re creating conditions for more terrorists to emerge, who will then threaten us in the United States.”

Florida Democratic Alcee Hastings singled out the NGOs working with Iraqi refugees and IDPs for special thanks.

“(You) are truly the lifeline to those men, women and children that are suffering,” he said.

Torbay concluded his testimony with a call for broad congressional support to achieve “a new level of humanitarian and development assistance to show America’s commitment to alleviate suffering, foster self-reliance and strengthen Iraq’s will and its ability to meet the needs of all its citizens.”

Read the full testimony]]> Mon, 05 May 2008 18:15:00 GMT USA Today: Fall in violence lures Iraqis home http://imcworldwide.org/content/resource/detail/1756/ Mon, 05 May 2008 15:15:00 GMT Kenya: At a Turning Point http://imcworldwide.org/content/article/detail/1755/

Child Shows Bullets
Photo: REUTERS/ Zohra Bensemra
A boy displays empty bullet shells following an overnight police crackdown on rent defaulters in Nairobi's Korogocho slum.
IMC Assisting Displaced and Injured Kenyans
Nairobi, Kenya –Immediately following the post-election conflict in December 2007, International Medical Corps (IMC) began assisting those who were displaced and lacked access to medical treatment and other basic necessities. IMC deployed emergency response teams to the widely affected areas of the Rift Valley province and Nairobi’s Kibera slum to reach out to the thousands who lost their homes, businesses, and communities as a result of widespread rioting and violence that continued after the election.

With funding from the United States Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and others, International Medical Corps is addressing the primary health needs of Kenya’s displaced populations. IMC is also expanding its services to include mental health and nutritional support. IMC currently sees approximately 3,600 patients per week and its mobile clinics in Kibera and Eldoret see up to 300 patients a day, security permitting. Among those seeking treatment, women and children are the most common, and many suffer from preventable infectious diseases such as malaria, diarrhea, and respiratory tract infections from the lack of clean water, sanitation, and shelter in resettlement areas. “Women and children in particular need medical care,” says Peter McOdida, IMC’s Country Director in Kenya.

As of February 28, 2008, both parties agreed to a power-sharing coalition government, which may help break the political stalemate that has prolonged the conflict that first erupted in December. Despite this pivotal development, the months of violence, rioting, and instability have still left much of the country in need of aid, as least 300,000 people have been displaced and nearly 1,000 have been killed as a result of this humanitarian crisis.

CLICK HERE to find out more.]]> Tue, 19 Feb 2008 15:00:00 GMT