Middle East Post Box

Natural disasters in Asia. MSF teams reach isolated areas. Help now.

MSF surgeons, doctors, nurses, and logisticians are currently part of the substantial international and local aid effort in Manila - Philippines, Andhra Pradesh - India, Padang - Indonesia and Samoa Island - South Pacific. 65 tons of medical and relief material have been sent in Indonesia and the Philippines from MSF supply centres in Europe and the UAE.

Almost 100 MSF staff are carrying out assessments, mobile medical consultations and distribution of relief items (shelters, hygiene kits, blankets, cooking sets ...) in isolated zones, sometimes by boat or helicopters.

MSF teams are still identifying unmet urgent needs and are focusing their efforts in the poorest or most remote places, not yet reached by the relief response.

In India, concerns are growing about the need for shelter, food and protection against diseases like Malaria. MSF was one of the first international humanitarian organisation to provide assistance to the population in Andhra Pradesh and is continuing its effort this week.

In the Philippines, the first priority is to provide medical care to people living in flooded areas, where the healthcare system is currently disrupted. Furthermore, MSF teams are regularly assessing hygiene conditions in the overcrowded evacuation centres, in order to detect and respond to potential outbreaks of disease.

In Indonesia, MSF Psychologists are also assessing individual situations and are providing consultations for people traumatized in those hardest hit areas.

Our reactivity to assess independently emergency situations, and to decide on the nature and scale of our activities, rely on the unwavering support of millions of individuals worldwide.
The budget foreseen for emergency and relief operations for the populations hit by floods and earthquake in Asia this quarter will exceed 10 millions AED.

We need your help to provide quality, fast and efficient care to the most vulnerable people.

I warmly thank you for your support.

Marc Sauvagnac
General Director MSF UAE

Live from the field

Simon Burroughs
MSF's Emergency Coordinator in Andhra Pradesh; Oct 19th

"There is still standing water, but the infrastructure is improving and access to areas which previously were only accessible by helicopter is opening up," said. "However there are probably still pockets of people in isolated areas who are in need of more aid, and we are continuing our assessments to see if we can reach them."

Marlene LEE, MSF psychologist
MSF team in Indonesia; Oct 7th

"Yesterday (6 Oct) we went to one of the most affected areas, where several villages were taken by a landslide. Everything is gone there...
A lot of these people are in difficult state now, they haven't slept for a long time, they have lost their appetite, they have lots of worries, they don't know what to do with their future. What we can do at MSF is bring them emotional support to help them cope with this event".

Dr. Natasha Reyes-Ticzon
MSF emergency team in Manila; Oct 6th

"We performed the mobile clinic in the second floor of a house. We saw 92 patients today, most of whom had respiratory infections, watery diarrhea, skin infections, or a combination of all three. I think it is safe to assume that majority of these diseases are a direct consequence
of the floods. Currently, this community does not have any access to health care because the local health post is flooded."

Voitek Asztabski
Emergency Coordinator in Philippines; Oct 13th

"When our team got to Rosales on Friday, there was literally a river running through town, nearly 100 percent of the houses have been affected and the living conditions in the evacuation centres are dire. People need food and hygiene materials. Our teams are working around the clock, but the needs are huge and we are desperate to see other agencies joining the effort here."

www.msfuae.org

Contact your local MSF office
Medecins Sans Frontieres, United Arab Emirates
PO Box Abu Dhabi 47226
PO Box Dubai 65650
A/C # 6501813090 Union National Bank Corniche Branch, Abu Dhabi

MSF annual expenditures worldwide amounted for 648 million Euros in 2008, out of which 81% have been dedicated to MSF operations (direct and indirect expenditures such as operational, medical, and logistic support, and awareness). In 2008, private income represented 89% of MSF overall resources. MSF international accounts are yearly audited and certified by two major audit firms, KPMG and Ernst&Young.
Activity and financial report are available on MSF international website at www.msf.org