Responding to Extreme Flooding in Nigeria On September 10, heavy rains caused the Alau Dam to overflow, resulting in major flooding across over 40% of Maiduguri Municipal Council in Borno State. The disaster impacted more than 414,000 people, with 37 deaths and 58 injuries. It has also destroyed key infrastructure and heightened the risk of …
In the coastal city of Derna, Libya, thousands of people were forced to flee their homes in the early hours of September 12, 2023, after catastrophic flooding destroyed nearly 25% of the city. Storm Daniel had made landfall in the country two days before, bringing strong winds and months’ worth of rainfall in a matter …
Ala’a and her husband had been trying to become pregnant for eight years. They’d tried a variety of fertility treatments before turning to in-vitro fertilisation (IVF)—an often expensive and emotionally taxing method. Their first few cycles failed, and they considered giving up before 30-year-old Ala’a finally became pregnant. The couple were delighted. But they lived …
Ukrainians have not only suffered physically since the start of the full-scale war in February 2022, but also mentally. Millions of people have been forced to flee their homes. Family members have been separated, loved ones killed or injured, jobs lost. Air-raid sirens sound day and night, schoolchildren study in bomb shelters, hospitals come under …
Living through a humanitarian crisis more than doubles your risk of experiencing a mental health condition such as anxiety or depression. In Ukraine, where the war is in its third year, an estimated 9.6 million Ukrainians—one-quarter of the population—are currently at risk of or already living with a mental health condition. For the country’s doctors, …
In a remote area of Somalia, International Medical Corps’ dedicated team at the Jowhar Maternity Unit (JMU) delivers more than 250 babies per month, helping women who would otherwise not have access to safe delivery and neonatal services. In a country with high maternal and infant mortality rates, these services are critical. “This is the …
Siblings Ali, Yousef, Nahla and Raef became orphans overnight when a missile hit their home in Gaza. They escaped, but with life-changing injuries: 10-year-old Ali’s hip and right thigh were wounded, 9-year-old Yousef lost a leg and had shells embedded in his chest, 4-year-old Nahla lost a toe and 3-year-old Raef’s left leg was broken. …
Even the missile attack in Kyiv on July 8 did not slow their progress. When an air-raid alarm sounded during their meeting at the City Hotel that Monday morning, members of our Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) team and the other participants (including the Coordination Center for Mental Health under the Cabinet of Ministers …
Since the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine in February 2022, International Medical Corps’ response has grown from a team of 30 based in Mariupol, in the southeast, to some 400 staff members working from locations around the country. Our response has always evolved—as the population’s needs have shifted, we have shifted our operations …
Halima—a 43-year-old Gazan woman—is one of the 280 million people worldwide who live with depression. Before the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023, she managed her mental health condition using anti-depressants. Life wasn’t easy, but the medication helped her care for her four children and make a living selling homemade cleaning products out …