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15 Ramadhan 1432 / 15 August 2011
Dear Brothers
Assalamu Alaikum!
We thank Br Ismail (Izzy) for his sacrifice and service during this trying period for the benefit of our Ummah and our organization. Let us heed his advice highlighted below and not be too hasty in responding, despite the horrific situation of daily losses. A coordinated response has a greater impact than sporadic responses by individuals or individual organizations. Having said that, we are sensitive to those countries who have relief organizations of their own and their own strategic objectives e.g. Mercy Malaysia, Al-Khidmat, Doctors Worldwide, Islamic Relief, Gift of the Givers, Al-Imdaad, etc. So brothers, please prepare for the FIMA response coordinated by Br Ismail in collaboration with Islamic Relief and SOYDA (Somalia Young Doctors Association), by planning the medical missions, raising the necessary funds to support the missions or procuring the emergency supplies to accompany the missions. As many an elder in our organization has oft reminded us, we are not a relief organization but rather an organization of health (medical) professionals with expertise in relief and emergencies. Let us plan together! May Allah (SWT) reward you all and bless you all for your noble deeds, pure intentions and coordinated efforts.
Jazakumallah Khair
Ashraf Jedaar
Director FIMA Relief
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American Doctor Assesses Crisis Conditions, Relief Options in Mogadishu
MOGADISHU, Somalia (Friday August 12, 2011)- As the famine and food shortage in East Africa worsens, an American doctor is observing the crisis and evaluating options to assist. Dr. Ismail Mehr, Relief Director for the Islamic Medical Association of North America (IMANA), arrived in Mogadishu on Thursday to assess crisis conditions in the Somali capital. Dr. Mehr, an anesthesiologist from Hornell, New York, is believed to be the first American doctor to enter the nation to assist with this humanitarian disaster.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 29,000 children under the age of 5 have died in southern Somalia in the past three months. The famine is a product of the worst drought to hit East Africa in more than sixty years compounded by decades of inadequate economic and human development.
Dr. Mehr traveled to Mogadishu after assessing the situation in the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya, where United Nations relief efforts are overwhelmed. Dr. Mehr re-affirmed reports of a dire situation in Dadaab. “I’ve visited several United Nations camps through my relief work in the past. They are usually well organized and well stocked with supplies. Tragically, international resources have been overrun by the scale of this disaster,” Dr. Mehr said. According to the UNHCR, the refugee camp was built over 25 years ago and has an expanded capacity of 90,000. The famine has forced it to grow in the past three months to host over 440,000 refugees.
Dr. Mehr reports that nearly 2,000 new refugees are arriving in Dadaab each day. “Healthcare is overwhelmed, UN officials working inside the camp rushed to us when they heard we were assessing healthcare needs, telling us tales of how kids are dying in front of their eyes and they don’t have enough doctors to help,“ Dr. Mehr said. Dr. Mehr believes the situation in Mogadishu may be worse than that in Dadaab.
In the last three years, IMANA Relief has dispatched teams of American and Canadian doctors following disasters and conflict in Haiti, Darfur, the Tunisia-Libya border region, Pakistan and the Gaza Strip. American doctors have provided urgent care, performed complex surgical procedures, trained local doctors and established permanent clinics.
"Whether here in the US or on the ground in Somalia, we will marshal our resources towards the health and well being of those effected by this drastic calamity," said IMANA President Dr. Mohammed Al-Shroof, an internist from Warner Robins, Georgia.
Somalia Relief 1
Somali Young Doctors Association (SOYDA)
Outreach Medical Relief in Km50-Lower Shabelle Region
This report captures the two days of SOYDA mobile team activities in KM-50 (known as Alla-Yasir Camp) Lower Shabelle Region, which is the only site where the controlling authority has prepared to settle the influx IDPs from Bay, Bakool and Lower Shabelle itself. SOYDA attended to 971 beneficiaries - 88% were children and mother who could not afford to buy a single tablet of medicine.
The two days mobile team conducted by SOYDA was from 23-24 July 2011. The mobile team objectives was to respond to the emergency crisis that is currently rampant and seemed beyond control with special focus on health. This is along the current struggle and effort that SOYDA has been doing during the course of the emergency crisis in the country.
SOYDA carried out these activities through team work with a rapid need response. Basic screening of the beneficiaries was undertaken with intensive consultation where appropriate. The volunteer doctors and nurses from SOYDA provided free medical consultations and treatment.
Achievements:
· Provision of free Medical visitation, treatment and laboratory activities
· Nutritional Screening of all under five year olds
· Treatment of chronic cases and their follow up
· Provision of health brief education and sanitation programs to prevent water and vector born diseases.
· Mass aqua tab and chlorine distribution for water sterilization
· Mass distribution of ORS to all HH
The following disease were prevalent:
· Severe Malnutrition, Acute watery Diarrhea, RTI and Measles mostly in children under 5 years old
· Respiratory Tract Infection, Intestinal Parasites and Anemia mostly in children above 5 years old
· Skin Infection, Enemia, Chronic diseases and Urinary Tract Infection mostly in adults
· Enemia, Pelvic Inflammatory disease mostly in pregnant mothers with no Antenatal and postnatal care
The estimated IDPs number in the camp were 3000 Families as reported by local authorities. Other diseases that have been diagnosed in the mobile activities in the area which SOYDA and referred for further medical care included:
· All severely Malnourished children with complications
· All chronic disease patients with follow up at SOYDA Lafole Center and also SOYDA promised to support the transportation fares of these chronic patients
· One Mother who has ante-partum hemorrhage
Conclusions and Recommendations
The two days mobile activities carried out by SOYDA have been successful. The organization volunteer team had 8 Doctors, 9 Nurses, 3 Pharmacists and 2 lab technicians. Beneficiaries were 367children, 492 mothers (lactating and pregnant) and 112 males including old age men. The activities were beneficial to those who attended. SOYDA provided free consultation, medical prescriptions and laboratory investigations to the beneficiaries. The needs which we have seen on the ground were huge and larger compared to what the mobile team have conducted and did.
During our physical visit, quit shelter (tents) were distributed by humanitarian agencies (NRC). There was also significant local responses by Local universities, business Somali communities and private clinics. But these efforts fall short of the needs of the community. SOYDA once more appeal to the international and humanitarian agencies to quickly intervene in the crisis and respond actively with various humanitarian relief efforts.
SOYDA recommend quick action in an emergency mode through close collaboration with the local organization.
Dr. Abdiqani Sheikh Omar
Executive Director of SOYDA
Mob. +252 61 5577282
Tell. +2526-99-750607
Mogadishu, Somalia.
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Visit our website: www.soyda.net
Somali Young Doctors Association (SOYDA) is federation of health Professional Medical Association representing Hundreds of Somali physicians worldwide. Acting on behalf of patients and physicians, the SOYDA endeavors to achieve the highest possible standards of medical care, ethics, education and health-related human rights and Health Care for all people
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