| Hi jay, Here’s the latest on what’s been happening at ARC. Sincerely, -Daniel Daniel Wordsworth, President *********************************************** *Flash Flooding in Somalia* Last week, heavy rains flooded the Shabelle River in Central Somalia and devastated communities. 21,000 people became homeless overnight when houses, wells and latrines were all swept away. The situation is likely to get worse, and thousands more are at risk. Our relief team is on the ground near Baladwayne, distributing critical relief items and talking with flood survivors about what other support they need. Flood survivors are receiving mosquito nets, plastic sheeting, soap, water purification tablets and jugs for water. Our aid workers are also establishing an emergency medical post where survivors can seek medical attention. We are partnering with Somali-MN aid organization HARO in this relief operation. If you have any questions about our flood relief efforts, send an email to Said Sheik-Abdi at SaidS@ARChq.org . *Medical Device to Reveal 'Hidden' Threat* We are partnering with the University of Minnesota’s Mechanical Engineering School to design a medical device that could easily and accurately count the respiratory rate – number of breaths a child breathes in one minute. Why is this important? Acute respiratory infection (ARI), mostly in the form of pneumonia, is the leading cause of death in children under five, killing more than two million children annually. Up to 40 percent of children seen in health clinics suffer from ARI, and many deaths attributed to other causes are, in fact, “hidden” ARI cases. No single clinical sign is better to detect pneumonia in children under 5 than respiratory rate —specifically fast breathing. However, health workers’ ability to count breaths may be hindered when they do not have watches to count the time, the devices they use need to be charged, or the batteries on their devices die. To measure respiration rate, health workers must also watch the child’s chest and the clock at the same time. The U of M is helping us to overcome these barriers and have already developed several proto-type solutions. We will continue working with them on these solutions and solutions to other front-line problems. *Addressing Violence in Uganda* The American Refugee Committee has been working to address violence against women in the settlements in Uganda since 2008. We recently received supplementary funding from the U.S. Bureau of Population Refugee and Migration (BPRM) to address the issue in four refugee settlements: Kyangwali, Kyaka, Nakivale and Rwamwanja. “With the support of BPRM, we have been able to build a-drop-in center, which acts as a safe haven for survivors of gender-based violence who are at risk of further harm,” said Ralf Nico Thill, ARC’s Country Director for Uganda. “The safe house provides shelter to survivors during the period they need medical or legal attention—and its proximity to the health unit and police post makes it easy for survivors to access services.” ARC has helped more than 25,000 refugees who fled to Uganda from five countries, including Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Sudan, Rwanda, Burundi, and Kenya.
*Giving*
At the request of readers, I always include these links so they’re easy to find when you need them. Thanks so much.
Become a Monthly Donor: http://www.ARCrelief.org/givemonthly
Donate Online: http://www.ARCrelief.org/donate
Give Us a Call: (800) 875-7060
Send in a gift:
American Refugee Committee
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