Dear [[FirstName]],
Last year at this time, armed conflict claimed more than 1,000 lives in Lebanon, and injured four times that many people. As many as one million people were forced to flee their homes in search of safety. Within days, International Medical Corps had deployed an Emergency Response Team to treat the wounded and care for their families. We set up ambulance services and mobile medical units. We provided equipment and supplies to overburdened hospitals. We distributed food, water, medicine and hygiene to those most in need.
In the aftermath of the war, IMC shifted its efforts from emergency relief to recovery. We helped civilians get back on their feet again by facilitating the re-opening of health clinics, and establishing safe places for children to play, far from the dangers of unexploded ordnance.
Now that the conflict of last summer is receding into the past, IMC is focusing on helping Lebanon build a healthy future. First on the agenda: reforming the school system in areas of the country that have long struggled with poverty and instability. A recent study of 45 schools revealed that children’s physical and emotional needs were not being attended to, and that communities felt no sense of ownership over their schools. This month, IMC embarks on a partnership with UNICEF to rehabilitate 25 schools. Taking a holistic approach to education, we plan to create school environments that are conducive to learning and child development. We hope that this is the first of many IMC projects that will enable the people of Lebanon to move beyond the recent violence and unrest and into a strong and stable future.
Sincerely,
Robert Dira
IMC Country Director, Lebanon
 For HIV-Positive Women, a Way Out of Poverty and Isolation
Four years ago, Pamela Odhiambo Omondi, an HIV-positive widow and mother of three, was barely able to support her children on the meager wages she earned washing clothes. Today, as a member of IMC's income-generation group, not only does she earn twice as much money as she used to-she is also connected to a group of peers who understand her troubles in a profound and personal way. Read more
 IMC and UNICEF Launch Joint Initiative to Reform Education in Lebanon
A recent study revealed the environment in some of Lebanon's schools to be inhospitable to learning and child development. In response, IMC and UNICEF have joined forces to develop 25 Child-Friendly Schools in Lebanon's most vulnerable regions: schools that promote health, emotional well-being and creative approaches to learning. Read more
 A Peer Education Program Reduces Unwanted Pregnancies and Saves Lives
In the remote villages of Azerbaijan, information on reproductive health is hard to come by. By training women in these small towns to educate their community about family planning and antenatal care, IMC is reducing the risks of both pregnancy and childbirth. Read more
|
