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Iraq: Medair responds to crisis

by Medair | Medair - Switzerland
Friday, 22 August 2014 11:13 GMT

Jacob Russell

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* Any views expressed in this article are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters Foundation.

As the situation in Iraq continues to deteriorate, international relief organisation Medair sends in emergency response teams to address the immediate needs of the population.

Medair is responding to the urgent needs of thousands of people displaced by armed clashes in Iraq. Based in Dohuk and Erbil provinces, Medair will distribute emergency relief items such as high energy food rations and non-food items to those forced from their homes. Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, particularly those from ethnic or religious minorities, are without shelter, food, or water.

Medair will also carry out assessments focusing on the short- and long-term needs of displaced people with a view to establishing a longer-term relief and recovery programme in the country.

According to the UN, 1.2 million people are displaced in central and northern Iraq, and an estimated 1.5 million people are in need of assistance.

“The humanitarian crisis in northern Iraq is complex and fluid,” said Mark Screeton, Medair’s International Director. “But you cannot fail to see the chaos and suffering that continues to envelop large parts of northern Iraq. Medair’s emergency response team is adapting to the changing context, and despite security and access constraints, we are committed to helping those most in need and delivering immediate relief where we can.”

Medair is already active in the Middle East, working with Syrian refugees in Lebanon and Jordan since 2012. The organisation also worked in Iraq in 1991 and 1992, and again in 2003, providing relief and recovery to thousands of people affected by conflict.

Medair helps people who are suffering in remote and devastated communities around the world survive crises, recover with dignity, and develop the skills they need to build a better future.

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Interviews are available upon request. 

For more information, please contact Abigail Woodcock, Press Relations Officer (English) abigail.woodcock@medair.org +41 (0)21 694 84 72 or +41 (0)78 635 30 95.            

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