Interna'onal

Medical Corps Issues Commitment at Clinton Global Ini'a've Annual Mee'ng to Deliver Immediate Humanitarian Relief for People Aected by Famine in the Horn of Africa
Margaret Aguirre Director, Global Communica5ons maguirre@Interna5onalMedicalCorps.org +1 310.826.7800 September 22, 2011 - Los Angeles, Calif. Interna5onal Medical Corps announced at the 2011 Clinton Global Ini5a5ve Annual Mee5ng a commitment to immediately address the nutri5onal and health needs of 200,000 individuals suering from the eects of famine and drought in the Horn of Africa. Interna5onal Medical Corps will scale-up targeted nutri5on and water, sanita5on and hygiene (WASH) programs in drought-aected regions in Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia. Interna5onal Medical Corps is extremely grateful to the Clinton Global Ini5a5ve for helping to shine a light on the catastrophe that has hit the Horn of Africa, and the challenges we face in addressing the suering of millions of people, said Interna5onal Medical Corps President & CEO Nancy A. Aossey. Having worked in the region since 1991, when we were the rst American NGO to deliver humanitarian relief inside Somalia during the civil war and subsequent famine, we recognize that the only way we can hope to mi5gate these devasta5ng cycles of drought and hunger is by combining relief with community- based ac5vi5es that build resilience to these disasters and address the underlying causes of food shortages and poverty. The UN has declared famine in six areas of Somalia where more than 400,000 children are at risk of starva5on. Nearly a million Somalis have already streamed across borders to neighboring countries including Ethiopia and Kenya in search of basic resources. Interna5onal Medical Corps teams on-the-ground are working to reach severely malnourished people with lifesaving nutri5on interven5ons in Somalia, Somaliland, Ethiopia and Kenya. True to the organiza5ons mission, teams are simultaneously implemen5ng training programs for local health workers to maximize the impact and sustainability of their relief eorts. As the humanitarian community predicts that famine condi5ons will intensify and con5nue into 2012, Interna5onal Medical Corps is working to expand exis5ng response programs to meet ongoing needs. In Sool and Sanaag regions in Somaliland, Interna5onal Medical Corps is implemen5ng an emergency nutri5on program targe5ng children under ve and pregnant and lacta5ng women. Through six Outpa5ent Therapy (OTP) sites and four outreach teams covering areas where there are no sta5c OTP sites, the organiza5on is working to reach severely malnourished children with nutri5on screenings, supplementary feedings of nutrient-dense foods, and medica5ons. Near Dolo Ado in the Somali Region of Ethiopia, more than 120,000 Somalis are seeking shelter and basic resources in refugee camps. Interna5onal Medical Corps, in partnership with the Ethiopian Governments Administra5on for Refugee and Returnee Aairs (ARRA), is implemen5ng supplementary feeding services for malnourished people, including the provision of nutrient-dense therapeu5c foods. The organiza5on is also building latrines; dissemina5ng hygiene educa5on and supplies; and training community members on gender-based violence awareness and preven5on.

At Kambioos refugee camp in Kenya, a part of the Dadaab Complex which is today the largest refugee camp in the world, Interna5onal Medical Corps and its partners are construc5ng a eld hospital with nutri5on services and a maternity center. The organiza5on is also providing support to 154 health facili5es throughout Samburu, Isiolo, Tana River and Laikipia districts and in the coming year, will expand feeding points within these drought-aected areas. This crisis is con5nuing to unfold and Interna5onal Medical Corps is commifed to helping the people in the Horn of Africa now and into the future, said Aossey. For more detailed informa5on about Interna5onal Medical Corps drought and famine response throughout East Africa, please visit: hfp://interna5onalmedicalcorps.org/page.aspx?pid=1348 Since its incep*on 27 years ago, Interna*onal Medical Corps mission has been consistent: relieve the suering of those impacted by war, natural disaster and disease, by delivering vital health care services that focus on training. This approach of helping people help themselves is cri*cal to returning devastated popula*ons to self-reliance. For more informa*on visit: www.Interna*onalMedicalCorps.org. Also see us on Facebook and follow us on TwiHer. ### About the Clinton Global Ini'a've Established in 2005 by President Bill Clinton, the Clinton Global Ini5a5ve (CGI) convenes global leaders to devise and implement innova5ve solu5ons to some of the worlds most pressing challenges. Since 2005, CGI Annual Mee5ngs have brought together nearly 150 current and former heads of state, 18 Nobel Prize laureates, hundreds of leading CEOs, heads of founda5ons, major philanthropists, directors of the most eec5ve nongovernmental organiza5ons, and prominent members of the media. These CGI members have made more than 2,000 commitments, which have already improved the lives of 300 million people in more than 180 countries. When fully funded and implemented, these commitments will be valued in excess of $63 billion. The 2011 Annual Mee5ng will take place Sept. 20-22 in New York City. This year, CGI also convened CGI America, a mee5ng focused on developing ideas for driving economic growth in the United States. The CGI community also includes CGI U, which hosts an annual mee5ng for undergraduate and graduate students, and CGI Lead, which engages a select group of young CGI members for leadership development and collec5ve commitment-making. For more informa5on, visitwww.clintonglobalini5a5ve.org.