3.7 Case study: Experiences in the West Bank and Gaza, Indonesia and Pakistan

The West Bank and Gaza

In 2001, CARE International established an Emergency Medical Assistance Project (EMAP) in the West Bank and Gaza to respond to the crisis affecting the health system following the intifada. This crisis was due to increased emergency demands as a result of conflict-related injuries, and a fall in health and nutritional standards due to border closures and the decline of the Palestinian economy. CARE responded to the crisis by working through Palestinian non-government run health and medical services that were augmenting the health system. CARE supplied essential drugs and supplies to keep health services running. CARE also provided capacity-building to improve managerial and technical capacity, and trained community health workers to help improve access for conflict-affected communities to basic health care including first aid, midwifery and psychosocial counselling.

Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

In November 2008, CARE responded to the outbreak of violence in North Kivu by distributing clean delivery kits to pregnant women obtained from UNFPA as part of the NFI distribution to displaced populations residing in Goma.  CARE staff participated in the SGBV working group meetings as well as health cluster and RH coordination meetings and begain SGBV activities by setting up referral systems for survivors of GBV to access medical and psychosocial care.  Then in collaboration with local partners, they trained health workers in two districts on the clinical and psychosocial care of rape survivors.  After training, the health facilities were supplied with equipment, supplies and medicines including PEP for HIV.  Feminine hygiene supplies made from locally available materials were included in the hygiene kits distributed to women of reproductive age.  Information from this program was fed into regional and international advocacy efforts that informed the UN Under-Secretary General before their visit to DRC.

Simeulue Island, Indonesia

CARE played an important role in providing essential health services in Indonesia following the 2004 South-East Asian tsunami. In Simeulue Island, mobile health clinics provided services to approximately 20,000 people in rural areas. After recognising a high incidence of malnutrition on the island, CARE prioritised the support of village-level mother-and-child health and nutrition clinics, where the greatest impact on child health could be made. Through this support, CARE worked to re-establish basic emergency reproductive health services and provided antenatal care services, reproductive health and family planning education, female hygiene kits, and safe delivery kits to pregnant women and midwives.

Pakistan

In June 2007, coastal areas of Pakistan were hit by cyclone Yemyin. CARE’s emergency response included providing emergency health care services to around 10,000 people, mostly women and children, through three mobile medical teams working in three flood-affected districts.