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125 Tons of Medical Supplies

medical_supplies
From the end of December 2013 to the beginning of this year, the World Health Organization (WHO) has sent 125 tons of medical supplies to Aleppo, SyrianArabRepublic. Aleppo is the site of thousands of killings and one battleground for Syria’s civil war.

Delivering such a large supply to this crime-ridden area required three shipments. The first shipment would treat 55,000 patients and second shipment approximately 213,000 people. This month’s delivery of 20 tons of supplies will treat 118,000 patients.

Rural villages have been most affected by the crisis of the SyrianArabRepublic. The lack of health workers, shortages of medical supplies and no access to health care facilities have placed most of the Syrian population at risk of a disease outbreak.

Medical supplies that have been collected include surgical materials, ICU beds, medicine and infant incubators. These supplies have reached several NGOs, the Syrian Red Crescent Society and health authorities to treat thousands of patients who have been affected by government air raids. Doctors have been treating a variety of patients with shrapnel wounds, amputations, brain injuries and deep abdominal damages.

Several pharmaceutical plants that produce medicine locally have been damaged and families that can afford medicine are paying extremely high prices on the black market. These shipments are thus giving hope to several families in rural areas that now have some aid distribution centers nearby. Aleppo is the site of destruction, with ongoing machine guns firing and explosives detonating, but civilians are forced to accept the chaos.

Regardless of the city’s dangers, the WHO continues to provide continual supplies since medicine production in Syria has been reduced by 65 percent to 70 percent. Mobile health clinics and local health workers are focusing on infectious disease and outbreak response, malnutrition, mental health and chemical hazards that continue to burden the Syrian population.

– Maybelline Martez

Sources: World Health Organization, CNN

Haiyan Adds Strain to Poverty in the Philippines

Povert in the Philippines
In early November 2013, Typhoon Haiyan barreled through South Asia, particularly devastating the Philippines. In the aftermath of the tropical cyclone, over 6,000 civilian lives were lost, nearly 2,000 more civilians remained missing and four million residents found themselves completely and utterly displaced in a country that they once knew as home.

Unfortunately, this vast amount of displaced people exceeds the maximum number that current aid organizations have the resources and capability to provide for. The devastation resulting from Typhoon Haiyan places additional strains on the Philippines, a nation that had a relentless pre-existing poverty crisis.

Prior to Typhoon Haiyan, the Philippines was already struggling with a high poverty rate in which approximately half of the nation’s 88 million residents live in impoverished rural areas. According to the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD,) 80 percent of the nation’s poor live in these rural locales.

However, after the typhoon, survivors now resort to make-shift abodes in the form of fright boxes and raggedy tents. A significant amount of refuge shelters sponsored by the government fail to meet international guidelines, leaving survivors to seek shelter by hastily assembling make-shift homes. According to the Washington Post, a paltry nine percent of survivors have received adequate material to rebuild the remains of their homes.

Although the adult literacy rate in the Philippines is approximately 95 percent, a handful of survivors are illiterate. To address this issue, while survivors wait for more building materials, construction workers tour sites and provide architectural advice on safe construction methods.

The inadequacy of the Filipino government’s emergency response in the wake of the typhoon reflects the deeper issues of poverty in the Philippines. In a country where more than half of the population struggles with the perils of poverty, the government is already gripped with internal plight, hindering its ability to adequately respond to natural disasters.

Even over a month after Typhoon Haiyan, aid organizations still struggle to provide proper shelter to millions of survivors. With such conditions, the process of providing adequate international relief in a timely manner may require fine-tuning.

– Phoebe Pradhan

Sources: Rural Poverty Portal, Wunderground, Washington Post, UNICEF
Photo: Giphy.com

The Elma Foundation

Elma Foundation Disaster Relief Humanitarian Aid Assistance
The foundation of ending global poverty begins with building a future for the coming generations. The ELMA Group of Foundations, founded in 2005, has seen the potential in youth and grown into one of the world’s largest private foundations focused exclusively on the children of Africa and selected groups in the United States and the United Kingdom.

ELMA’s mission is to improve lives through sustainable efforts to relieve poverty, advance education and promote health. They achieve this by utilizing grant making and investment, and supporting grassroots, community-based and large scale regional, national and international initiatives as catalysts for systematic change for people around the globe.

The group of foundations is made up of four major services arms: the ELMA Foundation, ELMA Relief, ELMA South Africa and ELMA Music. They are located in New York, Cape Town, and Dar es Salaam.

The ELMA Relief Foundation provides humanitarian relief to help people affected by disasters in any region of the world. They pay special attention to the needs of children, who often suffer more in the aftermath of environmental tragedies. They support successful disaster risk reduction activities and work to strengthen the strategic development behind it.

Some of their active grants include Global Fund for Children, Medecins Sans Frontieres UK and Oxfam America. These and other grants have provided support for disaster victims in countries like Nigeria, South Africa, Haiti, Mozambique and Ethiopia.

The ELMA Foundation has a particular focus in South Africa where they provide assistance to both children and adults. These include a Legal Resources Centre which aims to renew ongoing social justice programs with focus on children’s rights and the University of Pretoria, a community-orientated nursing education program for women and child health.

The ELMA Music foundation works mainly in the U.S. and UK. They offer financial assistance to musicians and musical performs, and to established programs seeking to assist the problem of substance abuse and addiction in the music industry. ELMA also supports opportunities for underprivileged children and youth to study and create music.

All in all, ELMA has a large and diverse outreach that tackles social injustice and pushes for relief and education all around the world.

– Janki Kaswala

Sources: Elma, Idealist
Photo: Berkeley

4 Most Practical Uses of Tech for Disaster Relief

Uses_of_Tech_for_ Disaster_Relief
Technology is increasingly being used as a tool of communicating with populations in times of disaster and disaster relief, the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative reports. Here’s a list of the most practical uses of tech for disaster relief in the field:

1. In Times of Crisis

New means of communication, be it Twitter or mobile phones, have proven indispensible in times of emergency or impending crises. In times of health crises, like the cholera outbreak in Sierra Leone this past April, aid workers were able to reach thousands in a matter of seconds with vital, life-saving information. In the cholera case, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) was able to send important warning messages and information to over 36,000 people in less than an hour.

2. Faster Deliveries

Texting in particular has played a large role in speeding up delivery and distribution of aid materials across the developing world. According to Action Aid, an NGO based in Kenya, sending a text message about an incoming delivery sped up distribution of given materials to the general population from 3 hours to 30 minutes.

3. Monitoring Food Markets

UN agencies have been able to monitor food distribution, availability, and prices by contacting and receiving information from informants in remote regions all by text message. Such communication has proven useful in countries like Somalia and Tanzania where food would be sent to those in need of assistance.

4. Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

More and more NGOs and UN agencies have turned to GIS to map out the location of damage and destruction of areas that suffered many causalities in times of crisis. These maps have guided aid workers to areas and peoples in need of help.

– Lina Saud

Sources: Irin News, Huffington Post, UN Dispatch
Photo: Cause Cast

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AmericasRelief Team

Americas_Relief_Team
Although there are many international aid organizations, few exist that focuses all their resources on one specific region of the world. AmericasRelief Team is one of the exceptions. This organization is devoted to providing immediate, as well as sustainable, humanitarian and educational aid for people in the Americas experiencing some form of disaster.

The group works to provide such assistance by creating a three-part process: disaster preparedness, disaster response and aid and humanitarian assistance. However, like any effective international organization, AmericasRelief Team does not work alone. It partners with other international groups, local groups, nonprofits, emergency centers, corporate donors, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and other independent experts to ensure that it is able to help as many people as possible.

AmericasRelief Team has many success stories to solidify its position as a key source of aid to the Americas during disasters. In 2005, the AmericasRelief Teams provided vital assistance to the Florida State Government after Tropical Storm Jeanne devastated the Caribbean region. More recently, in 2010, the group organized the distribution and utilized of 20 million pounds in humanitarian aid money and worked with the United Nations to quickly respond to the earthquake in Haiti.

In addition to monetary aid, the AmericasRelief Team provides clothing, household items and transportation for victims of disasters. Also, the group works with local news and media teams to spread information about the disaster and ways to avoid further complications. Overall, the group is one of the first responders to disasters in the Americas and one of the most effective organizations to provide vital services to those affected by any tragedies.

– Mary Penn

Sources: AmericasRelief Team, InterAction

4 Crises Where AMURT Makes an Impact

AMURT_Disaster_Relief
Since its founding in India in 1965, Ananda Marga Universal Relief Team (AMURT) has been dedicated to implementing disaster relief and development solutions to impoverished communities around the world. Instead of a cookie cutter based approach where every community receives the same aid regardless of circumstance, AMURT strives to localize solutions based on each community’s unique needs. With relief teams now set up and helping in 34 countries, here are 4 crisis zones where AMURT is making a major difference.

1. Ghana – Safer Water & Healthier Villages

Through the Mafi-Zongo Area Water Project, surface water from a seasonal river is treated with a variety of filters to make it safe for drinking. It is then pumped down a mountain through 45 pipes. Ghanaians pay about 2 pennies for a 20 liter bucket of water, the cost of which goes towards water treatment staffing and running the generators. Because of AMURT’s project, 9,000 people now have access to disease-free water that is not contaminated by the Guinea worm which is very prevalent in the area.

2. Syria – Help for the Displaced

The current civil war in Syria has led to a humanitarian crisis where more than 2 million refugees are fleeing to surrounding countries. The number of people increases daily, yet supplies for the displaced are dwindling. AMURT is now in Lebanon distributing precious, basic items to Syrian refugees. These goods include stoves, bedding, medicine, and 40 kilograms of food. Though it may not seem like much, these basic items mean everything for the survival of refugees.

3. Kenya – HIV/AIDS Assistance

As part of an initiative to help people living with AIDS in Kenya, AMURT has created a home-based care provider program to improve lives through “nursing care, nutritional education, [and] counseling.” These local providers are trained through the country’s Ministry of Health, and they make routine visits to AIDS patients’ homes when they are too sick to move. With this program, over 100 care providers have already been trained who are making a difference in the lives of thousands of patients and their families.

4. Haiti – Earthquake Relief

In the time since the devastating 2010 earthquake in Haiti, AMURT raised over $4.2 million to help with the social and structural redevelopment of the country. Their main project worked on restoring well-being to Haitian children’s lives through nutritional assistance, motivational activities, and various kinds of educational enrichment. Since its inception, the psycho-social support program has reached 4,000 impoverished youth. In addition, AMURT helped thousands of people in displacement camps throughout Port-au-Prince with water filtration, cholera prevention, and even microfinance projects.

AMURT has proven that one organization can help tackle any disaster by utilizing local solutions and long-term development ideas. To find out more about AMURT and their wide-array of relief projects around the globe, visit their website.

– Caylee Pugh

Sources: AMURT, Haiti Aid Map
Photo: Flikr

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10 Mil Volunteers Revolutionizing Disaster Relief

Tzu Chi Organization
The Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation is an international non-profit humanitarian organization with four main tenets: charity, medicine, education, and humanitarian culture. So far, with the help of 10 million volunteers and donors, the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation has provided millions of dollars of relief and aid in over 70 countries.

Tzu Chi was among the first organizations to provide relief to families that were victims of the World Trade Center attacks, Hurricanes Sandy and Katrina, and the earthquake in Haiti. Tzu Chi is unique in its approach to disaster relief in that it hands sums of cash directly into the hands of survivors. This is part of Tzu Chi’s philosophy: allowing survivors to use charity money on their own terms.

The Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation started in 1966 when a group of women began to save two cents from grocery money every day to donate to charity. The organization registered as a non-profit 501(c)(3) in California in 1984, and over the years, it has become an international group of over 10 million volunteers.

Literally meaning “compassionate relief,” Tzu Chi has expanded its program beyond just charity by building schools and hospitals around the world. With deep roots in Asia, Tzu Chi has become one of the most influential charity organizations in that region. Tzu Chi volunteers are easily recognized by their blue and white uniforms, and have frequently been called “blue angels.”

A factor that distinguishes Tzu Chi from many other Buddhist organizations is that it is first and foremost not evangelical. Volunteers are made to feel at home and are encouraged to practice whatever religion they affiliate with. All members are encouraged to improve their behavior and mindset, regardless of the underlying Buddhist ethics.

Tzu Chi is strictly non-political and non-governmental, and does not discriminate based on race, religion, nationality, gender, or ethnicity. For this, it has come under some scrutiny in the past, as many Taiwanese were upset with Tzu Chi for offering relief to mainland China. That criticism passed when Tzu Chi became one of the most coordinated organizations to provide relief to Taiwan during the 921 earthquake.

The organization has expanded to involve university students worldwide. The Tzu Chi Collegiate Association is a worldwide network that was officially established in Taiwan in 1992. The volunteers are often given opportunities to attend international NGO conferences. Tzu Shao is also a branch of Tzu Chi that allows youth 18 and under to get involved.

Tzu Chi is progressive in the idea that human growth is rooted in charity and giving, not just internal meditation. Not only does Tzu Chi help survivors of disasters and tragedies, but it also helps its volunteers. Many people are involved with the organization to help their communities and also for their own personal development.

– Lindsey Rubinstein

Sources: Tzu Chi, NY Daily News

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10 Facts About Operation USA

Operation USA
Operation USA is an international relief agency that focuses on working with grass-roots groups to help alleviate the effects of natural and man-made disasters worldwide. The Los Angeles-based group was a co-recipient of the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize for its work on the “International Campaign to Ban Landmines.”

These are ten important facts about it:

  1. Since it was founded in 1979, the Operation has delivered over $350 million for relief and development projects.
  2. Operation USA was the first Western aid agency to become active in Phnom Penh after Pol Pot’s Khmer Rouge regime lost power.
  3. Through its innovative use of 747 cargo jets, it revolutionized aid delivery to Ethiopia during the 1984 famine.
  4. Operation USA was the first American non-governmental organization licensed to work in Cambodia and Vietnam after the Vietnam War ended.
  5. In June 2013, Operation USA, through its partnership with Honeywell Hometown Solutions, opened the Honeywell Ibasho House in Ofunato, Japan. Ibasho roughly translates as “a place where one feels at home.” The house will serve as a gathering place for the local community devastated by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.
  6. Operation USA is completely privately funded.
  7. In 2008, the Operation began working with L’Athletique d’Haiti, a Haitian NGO focused on after-school sports programs for children living in the slums of Part-au-Prince. After the 2010 earthquake, the program’s soccer fields were turned into make-shift camps, housing around 500 families. It continues to work with the evolving needs of the people of Port-au-Prince through food aid and expanded organized sport opportunities for children.
  8. During its 33 years, it has worked in 99 different countries.
  9. Through multiple partner organizations, Operations USA is supporting education, livelihood, and health programs in Sri Lanka as the country’s population tries to rebuild from its recent civil war.
  10. 10. Operation USA has a stated focus on education, believing it to be the most cost-effective aid. Accordingly, the group has education projects in China, New Orleans, Nicaragua, and Haiti.

Bonus Fact: Julie Andrews is a founding Board Member, and Rosario Dawson also currently serves on the Board of Directors.

– Lauren Brown

Sources: ICBL, Operation USA
Photo: Food For The Poor