AmeriCares Relief Worker Arrives in Myanmar
10/05/2008 22:41
PR Newswire
STAMFORD, Connecticut, May 10 /PRNewswire/ --
- Organization Continues with Efforts to Gain Clearance for Airlift of
Medical Supplies
An AmeriCares emergency relief expert arrived in Myanmar earlier today to
assess the crisis situation and continue with efforts to obtain clearance for
the organization's airlift of 15 tons of essential medicines and medical
supplies to Yangon.
"AmeriCares is working closely with the World Health Organization to help
coordinate relief efforts and ensure aid is distributed to the delta regions
most affected by Cyclone Nargis. Our relief expert on the ground has
extensive experience based on our response to the 2004 tsunami disaster,"
said Curt Welling, president and chief executive officer of AmeriCares.
Reports continue to highlight the growing need for medical assistance as
health care professionals on the ground observe an increased need to treat
malaria, dengue fever, and diarrheal diseases, as well as other medical
emergencies resulting from digesting contaminated water.
AmeriCares is mobilizing additional disaster relief experts to the
region. The group's manager of emergency response has been in Bangkok all
week working to procure additional emergency relief supplies, participating
in logistics meetings with the UN and other nonprofit organizations to
coordinate relief efforts staged out of Thailand.
"AmeriCares is working around the clock to obtain additional visas into
Myanmar in order to distribute our first airlift to those most affected. We
are in the process of planning additional shipments of essential supplies,
including water purification sachets and supplement anti-malaria medications,
which are also included in our airlift currently awaiting clearance from
Myanmar to depart Schiphol airport in Amsterdam," said Curt Welling.
To learn more about how to donate to AmeriCares, visit:
www.americares.org.
About AmeriCares
AmeriCares is a private, nonprofit international disaster relief and
humanitarian aid organization, which delivers medicines, medical supplies and
aid to people in crisis around the world. Since it was established in 1982,
AmeriCares has distributed more than US$7.5 billion in humanitarian aid to
137 countries. For more information, visit www.americares.org.
Contacts:
Peggy Atherlay
+1-203-658-9626 (w)
+1-203-524-2158 (c)
patherlay@americares.org
Kate Homan
+1-202-585-2502 (w)
+1-301-646-8849 (c)
khoman@webershandwick.com
Web site: http://www.americares.org
Peggy Atherlay, +1-203-658-9626 - w, +1-203-524-2158 - c, patherlay@americares.org; or Kate Homan, +1-202-585-2502 - w, +1-301-646-8849 - c, khoman@webershandwick.com, both for AmeriCares