In 2005, Hurricane Katrina ripped through large areas of the American South, decimating homes, businesses and hospitals, and leaving thousands of people across Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi in despair. Native Mississippian John Roberts, in college at the time, volunteered to help local communities recover. What he saw there inspired him to become an emergency- and …
Editor’s Note: International Medical Corps’ Yemen Blog presents a rare view of life in Yemen, chronicled by our first responders as they battle one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters—one fueled by poverty, hunger, disease and years of Yemeni factional fighting that erupted into a full-scale civil war in 2015 involving other countries in the …
Out of a population of 108 million, only 6.1 million vaccine doses have been administered in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) so far. Convincing people to be vaccinated is still a big challenge, and there are many reasons why vaccination isn’t yet widespread. Some people lack information about the vaccine, while many others …
The already burdened health systems in the Northwest and the Southwest regions of Cameroon have been further challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic. Insecurity in the regions has hindered COVID-19 response activities, and attacks on healthcare facilities have limited the availability of health services in some communities. There have been low COVID-19 vaccination coverage and limited …
When New York City found itself at the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, International Medical Corps rushed to provide much-needed aid to New York’s Jamaica and Flushing Hospital Medical Centers—part of the MediSys Health Network—in the form of emergency medical field units, personal protective equipment (PPE) and a total of 33 volunteer …
A woman we’ll call Samah is a 38-year-old Jordanian working at a local university. She is divorced and lives alone, and although she has relatives, her relations with them have been strained for a long time. Family tensions and economic hardships have caused psychological stress for her. She felt trapped and hopeless, and did not …
Baseco Health Center is located in one of the most poverty-stricken areas of Manila, capital city of the Philippines. At the Manila Health Department (MHD) District V office, International Medical Corps and MHD staff are loading COVID-19 vaccine doses into an International Medical Corps vehicle, ensuring the quick and safe delivery of the vaccine to …
Our Philippines team’s journey from their office in Manila to Siargao Island, in the municipality of Del Carmen, was challenging and tiring. It required seven hours of travel and three different modes of transportation—a flight from Manila to Butuan, followed by a drive from Butuan to Surigao, then another two hours of travel via ferry …
Providing Supplies Where They’re Needed Most Our teams worldwide embody commitment. No matter what obstacles confront them, our staff in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) always find a way to ensure that crucial medicines and supplies reach communities that need them. In Afghanistan, our teams provide healthcare services to the people of Nuristan …
Providing Relief to People Affected by the War in Ukraine Our team is expanding its relief efforts inside Ukraine in response to the war there, as well as in neighboring countries, to provide medical, mental health and protection services to the millions of people affected by the conflict. In Poland, our team conducted a series …