Airlift of 15 Tons of Emergency Medicines and Medical Supplies Arrives in
Yangon
STAMFORD, Conn., May 18 /PRNewswire/ -- The government of Myanmar today
cleared for entry a life-saving shipment of medicines and medical supplies
airlifted to Yangon by AmeriCares - a nonprofit international aid
organization. The relief package will be distributed in partnership with
International Organization for Migration (IOM), an organization that helps
ensure the orderly and humane management of migration and provides
practical solutions to migration problems faced by refugees and internally
displaced people, including health care services.
IOM will be operating ten mobile clinics serving the victims of the
cyclone in their communities, including the Irrawaddy delta region.
AmeriCares medicines and supplies will enable not only IOM to restore
health and save lives throughout Myanmar, but will provide essential
medicines to other NGO's serving the ravaged areas.
"With each passing day, the health care crisis for those displaced by
Cyclone Nargis grows greater," says Curt Welling, president and chief
executive officer of AmeriCares. "We anticipate this airlift will be the
first of many to Myanmar and are pleased to partner with IOM, an
organization with extensive experience providing direct medical care to
victims of natural disasters and within Myanmar itself."
The shipment, which arrived from Amsterdam, contains 15 tons of
medicines such as antibiotics, analgesics, ointments and multivitamins as
well as medical equipment and supplies to treat the immediate needs of
those injured and to help prevent the anticipated spread of illness and
disease throughout the region. The medicines and supplies will allow
healthcare workers in Myanmar to treat injuries and illnesses associated
with cyclones including, lacerations, trauma, puncture wounds, water-borne
diseases, diarrheal diseases, malaria and help prevent the outbreak of
cholera. This airlift will be the first of many deliveries AmeriCares will
make to help the victims of the cyclone.
"We're hearing from our colleagues on the ground that clean water and
emergency medicines and medical supplies are desperately needed to prevent
further death and widespread diseases," says Welling. "AmeriCares shipment
contains the supplies urgently needed to help ease suffering and restore
health to the victims of Cyclone Nargis."
To learn more about AmeriCares and to find out how to support the
relief effort in Myanmar, visit americares.org.
About AmeriCares
AmeriCares is a private, nonprofit international disaster relief and
humanitarian aid organization, which delivers medicines, medical supplies
and aid to people in crisis around the world. Since it was established in
1982, AmeriCares has distributed more than $7.5 billion in humanitarian aid
to 137 countries. For more information, visit http://www.americares.org.
Media contacts:
Peggy Atherlay
203-658-9626
patherlay@americares.org
Kate Homan
202-585-2502
khoman@webershandwick.com
SOURCE AmeriCares
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Related links:
http://www.americares.org
CONTACT:
Peggy Atherlay of AmeriCares,
+1-203-658-9626, patherlay@americares.org, or Kate Homan,
+1-202-585-2502, khoman@webershandwick.com, for AmeriCares
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