In the spring of 2015, one year after joining International Medical Corps in Yemen as a Health and Nutrition Program Assistant, Doa’a was forced to flee her home with her family because their neighborhood was no longer safe. On that day, Doa’a became an internally displaced person (IDP)—an experience that has given her unique insights …
It’s not easy being a woman in Somalia. Life is shaped by overwhelming challenges beyond her control: severe drought, depleted crops, protracted conflict, toxic gender norms, inadequate education for girls and much more. Risking her life in childbirth should not be one more worry on that list—which is why we’re working to expand lifesaving maternal …
The young Syrian refugee was in labor in a Jordanian hospital when her mother came in to deliver the devastating news: her husband, two brothers and niece had died in a bombing in Syria. Faced with pushing new life into the world while experiencing profound loss, the young woman’s shrieks of physical pain turned to …
The first days of a newborn baby’s life can be a magical time—a time for joy, family celebration, hope and thanks. But it is also a fragile time for both mother and child—a time when dangers such as infection or poor-quality care can very quickly turn joy into heartbreak. Statistics show that risk to a …
It’s July 2018 and, through no fault of her own, Hawa and her unborn baby are in real danger. The 17-year-old mother-to-be has gone into labor in her final trimester, as expected—but after three days of labor pains, she still hasn’t given birth, and time is running out. Hawa is from Golo, a rural area …
On July 17, moms and moms-to-be celebrated #BumpDay to raise awareness about maternal health needs around the world. Shockingly, some 830 women die every day as a result of preventable pregnancy-related causes. With the support of author Heidi Murkoff (What to Expect When You’re Expecting) and the What To Expect Project, International Medical Corps is …
In a rural district of central Zimbabwe, International Medical Corps recently broke ground on a small but innovative project that is part of a far larger United Nations-backed effort to reduce the number of women who die each year in childbirth—mainly due to easily preventable causes. In 1990, that number topped half a million. But …
All of society—not just women and girls—benefits from gender equality. Study after study shows that communities, companies and economies grow stronger, more resilient and sustainable when women and girls are given the same opportunities as their male counterparts. Conversely, in places where women and girls face high levels of violence, paired with a lack of …
The Central African Republic (CAR) often tops lists of the world’s most neglected or forgotten humanitarian crises. One-quarter of its population has been displaced by conflict and more than half desperately need humanitarian support—yet the tragedy remains underreported and aid efforts underfunded. Armed groups control much of the country, outbreaks of violence continue unabated and …
Last year, I visited Azraq Refugee Camp in Jordan as part of a project that aimed to highlight maternal health, as well as the plight—and resilience—of refugee women. International Medical Corps runs the only fully equipped hospital inside Azraq Camp, where staff members deliver an average of 120 healthy babies each month. During my week-long …
The people of the Bahamas are in dire need of help and Hurricane Dorian. Help us provide lifesaving healthcare and deliver urgently needed supplies to communities devastated by this storm.