Lawand Talal is journeying back into harm’s way. Today the 2017 INMED Compassionate Service to Humanity Award Recipient is departing his post at the University of Missouri and traveling back into our world’s bloodiest conflict: the battle to liberate the city of Mosul from ISIS. Q: What will be your role back in […]
Internally Displaced People (IDPs) are one startling facet of today’s global refugee crisis. Accompanying well recognized conflicts in the Syria, Iraq, and Middle East are lesser known yet equally deadly locals of social strife causing people to flee for safety within their own nations. In South Sudan it’s civil war, not drought, that’s causing evacuation.
We all recall the devastating cholera epidemic that swept through Port-au-Prince following Haiti’s 2011 earthquake. Whenever urban centers are disrupted the risk of cholera, causing rapid death via dehydration, is predictably high. So, it is laudable that now, just one month following Hurricane Matthew, history’s largest-ever emergency cholera vaccination is underway with the goal
Seven-year old Ariya, photographed here with her mother and siblings, fled the outskirts of Mosul last week as Kurdish and Iraqi military forces advanced to retake that city from ISIS. Ariya joins the over 3.3 million Iraqis displaced by the conflict – not counting the innumerable Syrians. Where will Ariya find refuge? Anticipating mass
Six months ago from a distant hilltop I viewed the ISIS-held city of Mosul, where one-million civilians are captive. Five days ago began a long-anticipated military campaign by Iraqi and Kurdish forces to retake the city. As the bombs drop and bullets fly, whose lives are at highest risk? By far, it is the
“Yes, this is yet another Haitian town destroyed. It seemed like there was even less aid here. The town looked like it had been quite prosperous with cobblestone streets. Damage along the coastline was very severe. Either the houses were washed away or blown apart from the hurricane,” says Matt Giesbrecht, RN, assessing the
Last week as Hurricane Matthew collided with Haiti, citizens by the thousands sought refuge from the 130mph plus winds, tormenting waves, and inland storm surge. One special locale of relief: Higgins Brothers Surgicenter of Hope. This photo captured by USA Today, shows residents of southwestern Haiti entering the compound of the Surgicenter where they
Today 1 human in every 113 is a victim of forced displacement. In fact, today’s wars and persecution have driven more people from their homes than at that at any time since WWII. The UN Refugee Agency report, Global Trends, documents how 65.3 million people were displaced at the end of 2015, compared to 59.5
The world-wide health and disaster response community agree: management of the Haiti earthquake, Indian Ocean tsunami, and West Africa Ebola epidemic was poor. In answer, the World Health Organization has established new standards for international Emergency Medical Teams (EMTs) to ensure a credible global health emergency workforce for future Public Health Emergencies of International
This week the presidential candidate of a well-known United States political party was asked their plan for Aleppo. In response, the candidate replied, “What is Aleppo?” Shocking, but not at all surprising. Today Americans are consumed with the season football kickoff, Halloween planning, and the back-to-school rush. None of these activities carry any maleficence.