Malteser International
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Press Release
9 January 2012 |
Headquarters Cologne
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Haiti caught between prestige and misery
Malteser International experiences financial gap between transition and development aid
Cologne/Port-au-Prince.
„In Cité Soleil, an urban slum in Port-au-Prince, we are facing another humanitarian catastrophe and in some cases all we can do is watch the misery unfold“, Maren Paech, Malteser International’s senior desk officer for Haiti, describes the current situation in Haiti. Even two years after the earthquake, which shook Haiti on 12 January 2010, the situation is still very complex and diverging: „On the one hand, we are struggling to secure the most basic standards of living for the people still living in camps; on the other hand, rehabilitating measures taken in prestigious neighbourhoods make great progress and some camps are almost oversupplied.“
The precarious situation in some camps becomes especially apparent after heavy rainfall, when fecal waste is washed up into the tents because the latrines are congested, so the expert. „Many people are still living in these camps because there is simply no alternative, but there are also others that stay in camps because they are well taken care of“, Paech further explains. The current situation shows once more that, in Haiti, long-term developmental aid is required in order to truly achieve a sustainable improvement. However, the prompt and adequate distribution of financial resources is still a major challenge. More recent humanitarian crises in other countries have replaced Haiti in the budgets of international donors.
Malteser International, the relief service of the Order of Malta for worldwide humanitarian aid, is registered with the Haitian government and is currently active at three locations:
In Port-au-Prince, Malteser International initially carried out preventive measures against cholera in 18 camps. Now, additional measures are necessary because many aid organisations have left the camps and there is nobody taking responsibility to repair ripped tents or empty congested latrines. As a result, Malteser International is now taking over these tasks because, without a functioning infrastructure, any education about hygiene and health is futile. All relief measures in the camps are part of a comprehensive project. The aim is to enable the people living in the camps to return to their former neighbourhoods, where Malteser International also builds and rehabilitates sanitary facilities to improve the access to basic sanitation.
In rural Darbonne, Malteser International runs a health centre, which will be handed over to a local partner organisation in 2012. “The situation in Darbonne is stable,“ says Paech. However, there is not enough money to provide health care as well as sanitation and clean drinking water in 25 villages located in the hinterland of Darbonne.
In Belle Anse, one of the poorest regions in the southeast of Haiti, Malteser International now, after the emergency response to cholera has been completed, concentrates its efforts on an improved water supply, sanitation and food for families living in extreme poverty.
Implementing measures of disaster risk reduction, Malteser international additionally prepares the Haitian population for future disasters and their consequences. Eight international and 115 local staff members of Malteser International are currently active in Haiti. All in all, Malteser International has 8.6 Mio euros from private donations at its disposal. Until the end of 2011, 5.2 Mio had been spent and 3.4 Mio euros are budgeted.
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6 January 2012 |
Headquarters Cologne
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Tropical storm “Washi” in the Philippines
Malteser International expands emergency relief
Cologne/Mindanao.
A total of 100 temporary homes including latrines as well as community faucets for safe drinking water will be constructed in Iligan, a medium-sized city located on the Philippine island Mindanao. This is the next step the Philippine association of the Order of Malta, which is conducting relief activities in the region on behalf of Malteser International, takes to support the people severely affected by the tropical storm “Washi” in mid-December. Heavy rainfall and flash floods caused by the storm destroyed whole parts of the island and rendered hundreds of thousands homeless.
“Especially the children, being highly vulnerable, need immediate care and protection. They are in risk of sexual abuse and trafficking because of the congested situation in the evacuation centres and the breakdown of social structures,” explains Dr. Melgabal Capistrano, Malteser International consultant for disaster risk reduction, currently supporting the team on Mindanao. With this special focus on the safety of unaccompanied and separated children, psycho-social support and preventive measures are part of the relief measures. In response to an appeal of the local authorities, the Philippine association also supports the management and coordination of the evacuation centres.
Directly after “Washi” hit the island, Malteser International, the relief service of the Order of Malta for worldwide humanitarian aid, supported the Philippine association with an initial 10,000 euros. The relief measures can now be expanded, thanks to Caritas International providing an additional 50,000 euros. Immediately after the tropical storm, the Philippine association sent about two tons of food, medicines and supplies to the disaster area around Cagayan de Oro and Iligan.
ON THE SPOT
BREAKING NEWS
Tropical storm hits Philippines: Food and medication for flash flood survivors
Turkey: After the quake, survivors face harsh winter
AFRICA
South Sudan: 15 years of fighting tuberculosis, HIV and leprosy
ASIA
Cambodia: Emergency relief helps families recover from flood
Myanmar: One decade of hard work and cooperation
OTHERS
World Toilet Day: Giving the loo the attention it deserves
NEWS FROM MALTESER INTERNATIONL’S MEMBERS
Italy: Children forgo gifts from Santa Claus for a good cause
Tropical storm hits Philippines: Food and medication for flash flood survivors
On Friday, 16 December, a sudden rush of water caught hundreds of families in the southern Philippine island of Mindanao unaware in the middle of the night. The severe tropical storm hit an area that is not in the usual path of storms and typhoons, so residents were unprepared. The consequences were disastrous: more than 1,000 people died, and the death toll continues to rise. More than 63,000 families, or 338,000 people, have lost their homes and belongings.
Malteser International is supporting the emergency relief efforts in the Philippines with an initial 10,000 euros. The Philippine association of the Order of Malta airlifted 1,000 kilograms of food and medication to the disaster zone on 19 December; another 1,000-kilo load was planned for the next day. Two partner organisations on the ground will distribute the relief packages to families living in remote villages which were severely affected by the floods.
“Many places are not accessible by land due to the thick mud”, says Odelia Arroyo, Hospitaller of the Order of Malta’s Philippine association. “Entire villages have been wiped out”. After the initial help, Arroyo plans to send other essential items to the disaster area. “People still need a lot of help: pails, mats, blankets, pots and pans, and hygiene kits. They will also need housing materials to rebuild, such as bamboo, nipa palm roofing and galvanized sheets for roofing”, she adds.
Malteser International has supported the Philippine association of the Order of Malta since Typhoon Ketsana in 2009, providing trainings in emergency relief management and helping set up projects in disaster risk reduction, since the island state is constantly afflicted by natural disasters.
The effects of climate change are expected to cause even more distress, especially in countries like the Philippines. Strong rains and tropical storms could increase in frequency and intensity, and a sea level rise could make large parts of the country uninhabitable.
Turkey: After the quake, survivors face harsh winter
The residents of Van province in eastern Turkey have experienced many hardships ever since a major earthquake shook the area on 23 October – a disaster which left more than 600 dead and thousands homeless and injured. After being hit by a second earthquake within three weeks, the survivors are now struggling with strong winds and snow as the winter approaches, and have to cope with temperatures as low as minus 10 degree Celsius without shelter and food.
To help the families in the region stay warm through the winter, Malteser International funded 1,000 heating stoves, which have been distributed to residents in the villages of Ermisler, Akcift and 17 surrounding settlements by its Turkish partner, the International Blue Crescent (IBC).
More than half of the houses in these villages have been completely demolished; the rest are damaged or unsafe to live in because of constant aftershocks, reports Muzaffer Baca, IBC’s vice president and emergency relief coordinator.
The stoves function both with wood and animal waste, which are abundant raw materials in the region, and can also be used for cooking purposes.
Malteser International is also supporting IBC’s distribution of blankets, food rations including baby food, and hygiene kits. In addition, IBC provides meals for 615 students at the regional school for two months and supply them with school materials.
AFRICA
South Sudan: 15 years of fighting tuberculosis, HIV and leprosy
Tuberculosis, HIV and leprosy pose a widely spread threat to human life in South Sudan. For the people suffering from these diseases, early diagnosis, regular treatment and medication are vital to prevent serious consequences. However, especially in rural and remote areas, there is often no access to functioning health facilities and qualified medical care.
In its 15-year presence in the conflict-ridden country, Malteser International fights not only against the spread of tuberculosis, HIV, leprosy and sleeping sickness, but also for a sustainable strengthening of the local health system.
The programmes in South Sudan, which gained its independence in July 2011, include a variety of activities in the medical sector, such as prevention and early diagnosis, raising awareness in the communities against the stigmatisation of patients, renovating health facilities, providing clean water and sanitation, and training lab technicians and community health workers.
An important aspect of the programme lies in reaching people in remote and neglected areas, who have no means to come to the health centres. The pastoralist communities who migrate through the country with their herds are especially vulnerable, so they receive regular medical visits in the cattle camps.
By using its extensive experience from 15 years of working to improve health in South Sudan, Malteser International will continue to come up with solutions to local challenges, together with the local population and the country’s authorities, in order to improve health care sustainably.
Cambodia: Emergency relief helps families recover from flood
This year’s monsoon rains left a path of destruction throughout South-East Asia. In Cambodia, the strongest rains in a decade left 17 of its 24 provinces under water. Malteser International started in early November to provide emergency relief to 2,000 families in northern Cambodia. The country was severely affected by the floods: 247 people died, 46,000 homes were evacuated, and the means of sustenance for many families were washed away. “The December harvest has been ruined for these families, and their seed reserves have also been destroyed”, says Julia Brunner, senior desk officer for Cambodia at Malteser International.
Malteser International is providing a three-month supply of food to 2,000 flood-affected families in the provinces of Siam Reap and Bantey Meanchey. 1,200 of these families will also receive seeds so they can plant again in the spring. In addition, the organisation is securing the drinking water supply in five villages.
Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) is supporting Malteser International’s flood relief with 300,000 euros. Malteser International has been active in Cambodia since 1993, where it conducts projects in the areas of health and nutrition as well as water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH).
Myanmar: One decade of hard work and cooperation
Ten years ago, Malteser International started its first project in Myanmar from a small office in the capital city, Yangon. Today, the organisation can look back at a legacy of growth and success: with four project locations and more than 320 staff members, Malteser International’s projects in the country reach more than 700,000 people annually.
The goal of Malteser International’s programme in Myanmar is to make sure those who are most in need have access to high-quality, community-based health care, and to provide comprehensive solutions to some of the most pressing issues affecting the communities in the country, such as lack of clean water and sanitation and recurring natural disasters.
“We are enabling and empowering the most vulnerable communities in marginalized areas to achieve a lasting change in their daily fight against poverty, diseases and natural hazards, so they can live a life in dignity,” says Sandra Harlass, senior desk officer for Myanmar at Malteser International.
Malteser International had already started supporting the work of Burmese Catholic churches in 1996. But it wasn’t until October of 2001, when Malteser International started a project in the rural areas of Yangon Division, that the organisation’s first office in the country was opened. To commemorate the occasion, Malteser International is honouring its most dedicated, long-serving employees with medals of merit – on behalf of the many that contributed to its programme during the last 10 years.
In the coming years, Malteser International plans to expand its activities in Myanmar to Kayin State, on the border with Thailand, to further enhance its emergency response capacities and to strengthen its cooperation with local partners.
OTHERS
World Toilet Day: Giving the loo the attention it deserves
Many of us take our toilets for granted. Yet, for over a third of the world population, having a toilet at home, work or school is a luxury they cannot afford. On 19 November, World Toilet Day, Malteser International called attention to the importance of increasing access to sanitation worldwide.
According to a 2010 WHO report, 2.6 billion people worldwide lack basic sanitation. “These people have to worry every day about how to relieve themselves without feeling ashamed”, says Arno Coerver, regional water, sanitation & hygiene (WASH) coordinator at Malteser International. “They have to wait until night-time to defecate, or hide in the bushes. Needless to say, that is not only difficult, but also dangerous – especially for women and children, or for those who are ill.”
In each of its project countries, Malteser International looks for cost-efficient, technically simple and safe sanitation alternatives, which can be adjusted to meet the needs of different cultures and environments. Along with building toilets and sanitation facilities, Malteser International also works to raise awareness and promote hygienic practices in the communities it works in.
“Hand-washing continues to be the best, most cost-effective method to prevent diarrhoea and other infections”, says Roland Hansen, head of the Asia & Haiti department at Malteser International.
Lack of sanitation and hygiene causes 2.4 million deaths annually; it kills more than 4,000 children every day, and contributes to malnutrition. The United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals call for the proportion of people who lack access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation to be halved by 2015. “Of all the Millennium Development Goals, sanitation is among the areas where the least progress has been made so far”, Hansen says. “We need to give sanitation the attention it deserves.”
See a selection of photos of our toilets around the world!
NEWS FROM MALTESER INTERNATIONL’S MEMBERS
Italy: Children forgo gifts from Santa Claus for a good cause
On the occasion of their traditional holiday party on 6 December, about 50 children of the staff members of the Grand Magistry and of ACISMOM, the Italian relief service of the Order of Malta, decided to renounce their gifts and instead support malnourished children in Uganda. As a result, their parents donated 743 Euros to the Order of Malta, which in turn doubled this sum in order to back up Malteser International’s work in the East African country with 1,500 Euros.
Already since 1996, the Order of Malta’s relief service for humanitarian aid has been giving financial support to the nutrition unit in the hospital in the Ugandan town of Maracha, thus facilitating the treatment of about 400 malnourished children annually.
For the children in Rome, it was a great party even without gifts: they had a lot of fun with various activities prepared to celebrate the visit of Santa Claus. After his arrival, Santa told them about five-year-old Agupi-Nva, who had been suffering from malnutrition and – thanks to special supplementary feeding provided at the nutrition unit in Maracha – could be treated successfully and regained normal weight after four weeks.
In order to express their gratitude for the children’s support, Malteser International had asked Santa Claus to distribute Malteser International sweets, bags and pencils to the children.