Catholic Relief Services Set to Move Humanitarian Assistance into IraqCatholic Relief Services Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and its partner Caritas Iraq announced today plans to send a four-vehicle convoy of vitally needed relief items into Iraq. Security and access permitting, the four trucks carrying 45 tons of life-saving medicines and food aid will travel from Amman to Baghdad, from where they will be distributed to Caritas centers throughout Iraq to reach the needy. The convoy's total value of $500,000 is sponsored by Caritas Internationalis, an international confederation of charitable organizations of the Catholic Church, including CRS.  "CRS continues to monitor the security situation in Iraq as we see the needs there steadily increase," said Christine Tucker, CRS Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa. "We are prepared to enter the country and deliver the much needed supplies as soon the security situation permits. We therefore call on the coalition forces to provide security as quickly as possible." The drugs consignment, including first aid kits and medication, such as painkillers and antibiotics to combat communicable or infectious diseases, contains enough medicines to treat 25,000 people. The convoy also includes medication for people coping with chronic illnesses, including diabetes, asthma and stress related ailments, as looting inside Iraq has reduced the availability of such medicines. The convoy also comprises enough supplementary food to care for 10,000 malnourished children. The sick will also be able to receive treatment at Caritas Iraq's 14 centers throughout the country and its outreach centers in about 40 schools and churches, where displaced people have sought refuge from the war. The centers include medical teams comprising a medical doctor, health worker and social worker. Since the outbreak of war on March 19, Caritas Iraq's staff and volunteers inside Iraq have been providing first aid services to people injured in the bombardments, using medicine and equipment supplied by CRS and other Catholic agencies. On April 2, CRS announced an international appeal for US$8.3 million to support more than 43,000 displaced families (more than 260,000 people) in Iraq over the next three months. The appeal is sponsored by Caritas Internationalis and implementation began immediately. Caritas Iraq was established in 1992 by the Catholic Bishops of Iraq to promote social justice and support the poor and marginalized. It has a staff of 134 people along with 120 volunteers. CRS is working with Caritas in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Turkey to respond to the immediate needs of the vulnerable Iraqis and expands its efforts to save lives, work for peace and promote the dignity of each Iraqi citizen. Catholic Relief Services is marking its 60th year as the official international humanitarian agency of the U.S. Catholic community. The agency provides assistance to people in more than 90 countries and territories on the basis of need, not race, creed or nationality. To contribute to Catholic Relief Services efforts, send donations to: Iraq Humanitarian Response
For more information, or to contact Catholic Relief Services, see their website at: www.catholicrelief.org |
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