International Medical Corps Prepares to Respond in Aftermath of Hurricane Matthew

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 4, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Hurricane Matthew is pounding Haiti with life-threatening wind, rain, and tidal surges, and the devastating storm is now barreling toward Cuba and the Bahamas. International Medical Corps' team in Haiti is preparing to respond as soon as the storm passes and additional emergency response experts have been deployed to the Bahamas to immediately assess the needs and provide assistance following the storm.

"We have pre-positioned our teams so that they will be prepared to immediately travel to the hardest-hit areas once Hurricane Matthew passes," said Chris Skopec, International Medical Corps' Senior Director of Emergency Preparedness and Response. "They will assess the most urgent needs so we can respond appropriately with lifesaving assistance and help communities recover and rebuild."

International Medical Corps is already fighting cholera in Haiti—a disease that is exacerbated by the heavy rains and flooding caused by Hurricane Matthew. In the aftermath of the storm, water, sanitation, and hygiene support will be urgently needed to help prevent the spread of diseases such as cholera. International Medical Corps will also identify ways to support local health facilities and the nutrition needs of affected populations.

International Medical Corps currently provides ongoing humanitarian assistance to those in need in northern and western Haiti. The organization responded to the magnitude 7.0 earthquake that devastated Haiti in 2010 and later that year to Hurricane Tomas and an outbreak of cholera.

A preeminent first responder for more than three decades, International Medical Corps has extensive experience providing medical care and other lifesaving relief in the aftermath of disasters, including Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines in 2013, the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan, and the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004.

Since its inception more than 30 years ago, International Medical Corps' mission has been consistent: relieve the suffering of those impacted by war, natural disaster and disease, by delivering vital health care services that focus on training. This approach of helping people help themselves is critical to returning devastated populations to self-reliance. International Medical Corps has delivered more than $2.2 billion in humanitarian relief and training in 75 countries since 1984. Today its global staff of more than 7,000 provides assistance to devastated communities in the world's hardest-hit areas, from Syria to Sierra Leone, Iraq to Afghanistan. For more information visit: www.InternationalMedicalCorps.org. Also see us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Medium.

SOURCE International Medical Corps

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