8th November 2013 the Typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines. Second-deadliest typhoon on record. Killed over 4 000 mothers, fathers, grandparents and kids. In a period of less then 24 hours the life of 15 million people got a turn that no one could predict. (1) The typhoon Haiyan swept through the Philippine islands and left behind a country in ruins, and people in need of assistance regarding medical health, food and housing. There is lack of water, power and communications. The damage to infrastructure reach about 240 million USD. Many of the hospitals are damaged and out of function. Security is also a concern (2). Due to this scale of negative effects the disaster in the Philippines is categorized to Grade 3; the highest internal emergency category under the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Emergency Response Framework (ERF) (2).
Our national member organisation AMSA-Philippines was overwhelmed, confronted by loss and abject people. A call for help reached our federation. We the IFMSA-Quebec, supported by the IFMSA SWG on Disaster Management, have initiated a collection within IFMSA directed to help the millions of victims of the typhon Haiyan. Now more than ever, medical physicians should be ready to respond and help in disasters, whenever and wherever it happens. The privileges of being a health professional come with responsibilities to society. Every contribution counts.
We ask you as a humanitarian and future doctor to spread this call for humanity, this appeal of helping people suffering. The donations will unshorten assist AMSA-Philippines work to maintain best possible mental and physical health among the victims of Haiyan. Health is a human right and not just a civil right. As future medical professionals it is our duty to help all people in need of health care.
We invite you to join this urgent appeal of assistance to the Philippines. We invite you to join our campaign. Let us fulfill our future oath as medical professionals and let us be humanitarian. Together we have joined and improved the world. We would be truly thankful if you could help us by doing following three things:
The donations will unshorten assist AMSA-Philippines work to maintain best possible mental and physical health among the victims of Haiyan. You can read AMSA-Philippines latest blogpost on Haiyan here. The online donation platform is only a click away.
As medical students committed to sharing your knowledge and skills internationally, you are a powerful source of hope for the future. I commend your determination to use your medical training to benefit all members of society. – Kofi Annan as UN Secretary General
In solidarity we stand,
Camille Pelletier Vernooy | Moa Herrgård
Team SCORP-Quebec | Project Leader PSWG Disaster Management IFMSA
norp@ifmsa.qc.ca | drm.ifmsa@gmail.com
Supported by the IFMSA Think Global Initiative
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1) OCHA, Relief web, Philippines: Typhoon Haiyan – Humanitarian snapshot, 2nd December 2013 http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/PHL_Haiyan_131202_HumanitarianSnapshot.pdf
2) SitRep No. 26 Effects of Typhoon “Yolanda” (Haiyan). National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, Republic of the Philippines. 18 November 2013. http://www.ndrrmc.gov.ph/attachments/article/1125/NDRRMC%20Update%20-%20Sitrep%20No%2026%20re%20Typhoon%20Yolanda.pdf
3) SitRep No. 2 Typhoon “Yolanda” (Haiyan), Philippines. World Health Organisation Pacific Regional Office and the Philippines Country Office. 17 November 2013. http://www.who.int/hac/crises/phl/sitreps/philippines_sitrep_17november2013.pdf
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