#Snapshots June 2022
From Afghanistan to South Sudan, see the impact you’ve had as a supporter of our work this month.
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Responding to the Earthquake in Afghanistan
On June 21, eastern Afghanistan experienced a 5.9 magnitude earthquake that killed at least 1,000 people and injured more. The Gayan district in Paktika province, where we have been working for years, was the hardest hit.
We were the first emergency response organization to respond, mobilizing staff and ambulances and providing critical trauma care to affected communities. Our teams worked together with local health authorities, delivering needed medical supplies and hygiene kits, and supporting other needs like emergency shelter, non-food items, and food assistance.
Continuing to Provide Aid in Ukraine
Now, more than four months since the war in Ukraine began, our team is continuing to provide lifesaving care. We have rapidly scaled-up health and mental health programming, as well as nutrition, multi-purpose cash-transfer, gender-based violence, and water, sanitation and hygiene activities to meet urgent needs.
Nutrition Education in Ethiopia
We’ve had nutrition programs in Ethiopia for years, but as food security has worsened for countries in the Horn of Africa, it is now, more than ever, important to support these communities.
Our team has been running gardening programs that give all the necessary tools and nutrients people need to garden at home. This allows community members to grow their own vegetables and provide nutrient-rich food for their families.
The gardening program includes training in basic gardening skills, as well as garden design, layout and how to mulch and fertilize the soil organically to prepare it for planting. Teaching families how to garden ensures they will have enough food for this year and years to come.
Continuing Support for COVID-19
Vaccines are one of the most important ways to prevent disease, which is why we are working hard to vaccinate everyone against COVID-19 in the Philippines. We recently launched a vaccination program in the city of Manila.
A few months ago, we ran a similar program in the community of Angolo, which was successful in its vaccination efforts.
Teaching Hygiene Practices
In countries around the world, our teams are teaching communities about hygiene and dental care. Communities in Jordan, Lebanon and Yemen are a few among the many that our Water, Sanitation and Hygiene team works with.
In Lebanon, our team has given awareness sessions on personal hygiene, lice, and scabies to children in Sawfar.
Additionally, we gave a session on dental care and distributed dental hygiene kits to ensure access to necessary hygienic tools in Tripoli.
Our community health team conducts monthly shelter-to-shelter visits throughout the villages of Azraq refugee camp in Jordan. Healthcare, maternal and pediatric care are some of the medical services International Medical Corps’ staff has provided in Jordan.
In Yemen, civil war has created one of the largest humanitarian crises in the world. Currently, 20.7 million people require assistance, and outside aid is preventing a total collapse in healthcare. At the Road Authority Camp in Ibb, volunteer Basheer Farhan ran hygiene sessions in the camp. Under the Yemen Humanitarian Fund, we provided the camp with hygiene kits, water trucking, and constructed latrines. Everyone deserves access to these essentials.
First Aid Training in a Conflict Zone
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, we have given first aid training to medical and non-medical International Medical Corps staff. Eastern DRC, where International Medical Corps is working, is in a constant state of conflict, and, especially with the roads in poor condition, our teams are very exposed to dangers. It is important that all our staff, even non-medical team members, know first aid, which can save lives in case of an accident.
Innovating in South Sudan
Before the Pharmaceutical Information Management System (PIMS), pharmaceuticals were being dispensed from central warehouses to communities using paper-based, manual tracking systems. The older system was inefficient, using staff time that could be spent with patients.
The PIMS software, designed by International Medical Corps, enables field medical and pharmaceutical teams to manage pharmaceuticals within the last-mile of the pharma supply chain cycle more efficiently than ever before. It provides complete visibility into the movement of pharmaceuticals, readily available reports and statistical analysis, standardization in the flow of commodities and improved patient and health worker experience.
In South Sudan, our staff uses the new system to make the final stretch of the delivery process smoother than ever.
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International Medical Corps is a global first responder that delivers emergency medical and related services to those affected by conflict, disaster and disease, no matter where they are, no matter the conditions. We also train people in their communities, providing them with the skills they need to recover, chart their own path to self-reliance and become effective first responders themselves. Established in 1984 by volunteer doctors and nurses, we are a nonprofit with no religious or political affiliation, and now have roughly 7,500 staff members around the world, 97% of whom are locally hired. Since our founding, we have operated in more than 80 countries, and have provided more than $3.9 billion in emergency relief and training to communities worldwide.
Our staff includes experts in emergency medicine, infectious disease, nutrition, mental health, maternal and infant health, gender-based violence prevention and treatment, training, and water, sanitation and hygiene, all within the humanitarian context.
To arrange an interview on or off the record, contact our Media Relations team at media@internationalmedicalcorps.org.
