Though it’s easy to snigger when thinking of toilets, it’s a deadly serious subject. Billions of people worldwide do not have access to safe sanitation, with hundreds of millions forced to defecate in the open. That’s why, since 2013, the world has celebrated World Toilet Day on November 19. This year, International Medical Corps is …
18-month-old Kubra Jawar lives with her family in Anani, a kebele (ward or neighborhood) in Fedis woreda (district) in rural Ethiopia. Kubra’s parents, Fatuma and Jawar, are subsistence farmers supporting their four children by farming and raising livestock. Persistent drought and supply-chain disruptions have limited their production, and their family is one of the poorest …
The Horn of Africa—which includes Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya—is facing a severe drought, the worst in four decades. Seasonal rains that farmers depend upon to water their livestock and nourish their crops failed for the fourth consecutive season when the April–May rains, called gu, fell far short of normal. The US government’s Famine Early Warning …
War in Ukraine has combined with widespread, prolonged droughts to deepen a food security crisis in Africa and the Middle East, raising the risk of famine.
As countries in the Horn of Africa experience worsening food security issues, our team in Ethiopia has been sharing home gardening programs that give community members the tools they need to grow their own vegetables and provide nutrient-rich meals to their families. With generous support from Earth Council Geneva, International Medical Corps has implemented sustainable …
Menstruation is a normal process for anyone with female reproductive organs. But the stigma associated with it—and the challenges that many women and girls face during this time—is far from normal. “Period poverty” refers to the inability of women and girls to access resources—such as sanitary pads, water, soaps, medicines and sanitation facilities—during their monthly …
Providing Supplies Where They’re Needed Most Our teams worldwide embody commitment. No matter what obstacles confront them, our staff in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) always find a way to ensure that crucial medicines and supplies reach communities that need them. In Afghanistan, our teams provide healthcare services to the people of Nuristan …
Providing Relief to People Affected by the War in Ukraine Our team is expanding its relief efforts inside Ukraine in response to the war there, as well as in neighboring countries, to provide medical, mental health and protection services to the millions of people affected by the conflict. In Poland, our team conducted a series …
In the East Hararghe and Guji zones of the Oromia region in Ethiopia, International Medical Corps runs a multi-faceted program that offers emergency health, protection, and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services to conflict-affected internally displaced persons (IDPs). For Radia Jilo, the project has made improvements to everyday life—and helped her feel valued. Radia is …
Nasteeh Mohamed Omer, a 22-year-old who lives in Dollo Ado, Ethiopia, left school after the 10th grade because of economic problems. When his father died three years ago, he became primarily responsible for the remaining six members of his family. Poor communities in Dollo Ado—a woreda, or district, of eastern Ethiopia—don’t offer reliable employment or …