IMC Dispatches Three Rapid Response Teams to Help Earthquake Victims

Following the earthquakes that struck Baghlan Province in Afghanistan this week, International Medical Corps' (IMC) office in Mazar-e-Sharif immediately dispatched a rapid response medical team to the affected area. This mobile medical team initially performed triage and conducted needs assessments in Nahrin, the Afghan city in the center of the quake zone. Subsequently, IMC has dispatched two additional mobile medical teams to service the villages surrounding Nahrin, which are in serious need of medical services.

IMC has been active in Afghanistan and the surrounding region since 1984, providing health care and reconstruction services, as well as training an extensive network of health care workers throughout the country.

"Due to its large ground presence in Afghanistan, IMC's healthcare professionals are experienced in emergency medicine and well prepared to address disease outbreaks common in disaster settings," according to Nancy Aossey, president and chief executive officer of IMC.

"Over the past several weeks, IMC's capacity to respond to such disasters has expanded with the receipt of drugs and medical supplies from the World Health Organization (WHO), the acquisition of vehicles and communications equipment, and the recent hiring and deployment of additional expatriate and local health staff," Aossey added.

Earlier this month, IMC responded to the March 3rd earthquake in Afghanistan's Samangan Province providing emergency medial assistance. This week's earthquake in Baghlan Province increases the need for financial help to aid Afghanistan's quake victims.