Syrian Project Aids Refugees

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Created: 21 May 2014

Dear Friends,

The Earth Council Geneva is well and alive… thank you for your support!  TOGETHER WE SAVE LIVES. 

This is a report of one of the many projects we have with our partner International Medical Corps (IMC). It is a good example of how Earth Council Foundation funds are well and spent and carefully monitored. 

IMC is an excellent partner organization with over 4,750 people (mostly volunteers).  Over 90 cents of each dollar donated go directly to help the people in need.  More on (www.InternationalMedicalCorps.org).

The project is in line with the strategy the Earth Council Board has established: Hygiene with focus on water management for needy children.

During the past 10 years, hundreds of lives have been saved through the efforts and the participation of the Earth Council Geneva, a not insignificant accomplishment. 

I hope to see you in the not too distant future.

Sincerely,

Chairman Earth Council Geneva

Reto Braun

Project Summary - Over the last year, the influx of Syrian refugees has put increasing pressure on tented settlements in the Bekaa Valley and the North of Lebanon, which have little to no humanitarian support. These settlements lack adequate access to basic needs such as health care, clean water, food, and sanitation. The most common diseases faced by the Syrian refugees in these tented settlements are exacerbated by lack of water and soap, poor environmental conditions, high population densities combined with a lack of hygiene knowledge, and few resources to treat the diseases. International Medical Corps staff have been heavily involved in the emergency response in the area, and are providing support to the health facilities serving the population, distributing hygiene kits to families, and providing mental health screening, psychosocial support, and consultations.

With quick and generous support from Earth Council Geneva, International Medical Corps responded to improve the situation through the procurement and distribution of hygiene kits and materials, along with health education, which benefitted nearly 9,000 Syrian refugee children and families.

Earth Council Geneva helping Phillipine victims

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Created: 18 November 2013

EARTH COUNCIL GENEVA is helping to provide fresh water to needy people in the Philippines through our partner, IMC.

IMC has sent an Emergency Response Team, with medical staff and water and sanitation experts, to the remote island of Guiuan.  They were met by hundreds of people waiting for food, water, and medical care. The devastation is extensive.

IMC doctors started treating patients as soon as they stepped off the airplane, treating people lining the tarmac waiting for assistance at the airport. They treated infected cuts and injuries caused by flying debris.  The team is already reporting cases of diarrheal disease due to a lack of clean water, and expect to see an increase in dengue fever, tetanus and measles as well.

The team is making their way to villages on the island where no one has yet sent help, in order to tend to the sick and injured. They will drive as far as then can and then walk.

Syrian Refugee Camps to Receive Aid

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Created: 09 October 2013

Earth Council Geneva has embarked on another venture with the International Medical Corps. There is a significant and urgent need to address some major water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) needs in informal tented settlements in the Bekaa and North of Lebanon. The influx of Syrian refugees (more than 70,000 registered per month, though many choose not to register with the United Nations) has put increasing pressure on these informal settlements and the people are facing numerous health concerns, specifically related to sanitation and hygiene issues. Intervention is urgently needed.  Many of these tented settlements have received no support to date.

·         In a tented settlement in Miniara in the north sewage has contaminated large areas of the community and the area has since been invaded by a large number of flies. The community has yet to receive any hygiene kits and many of the residents have lice and scabies. International Medical Corps is coordinating with WASH organizations to address the sewage issues.

·         In Menieh there is a new tented settlement in the north (100 tents, 300 families), and there are approximately 300 cases of lice and scabies that have not received any medication to address these issues. As the settlement is new they have not received any aid. International Medical Corps has completed health education sessions and is coordinating with UNHCR to address sewage and latrine issues.

·         In Dedeh, International Medical Corps health educators visited Al Waha shelter, which is new and has 140 families (935 people). They found 685 children under the age of 15, 250 elderly, and 17 pregnant women. There were 250 cases of scabies infections and it is believed that all residents have lice. International Medical Corps is providing health education and working with WASH actors to address infrastructure issues.

Based on this assessment and others like it from IMC health educators, it is estimated that there are 4,000 new cases of lice and scabies in one area of the north and another 2,000 cases in Baalbek. There is an urgent need to procure more lice and scabies medications as well as hygiene kits to help address these issues. All of these supplies (with ECG’s recent support) will now be provided to communities.  First will come thorough explanations on how to use the medications and kits, as well as sessions addressing hygiene issues to prevent further infections.  Other topics, including women and children’s health, breastfeeding, etc., will be explained as well.  This should a tremendous benefit to the refugees in such dire trouble.

IMC Update 14/9

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Created: 04 September 2013

The most recent letter from the IMC regarding its ongoing partnership with Earth Council Geneva:

Download the letter now in PDF format by clicking here.