Operation Mercy

Bringing Hope to the Needy Peoples of the World






Iraq
Capital City:




It looks like Lighhouse Network will be involved and vist and we will help the good people hear understand about our medicine, treatment, and care of patients. I am looking forward to sharing what I have leaned over the years in working as a thereapist in the ER, Hospital, Local Churchs, Private Pratice and other settings.

Baghdad
Population: 25,374,691
Literacy Rate: Men: 56% Women: 24%
Population Below poverty line: Unknown
Unemployment rate: estimated to be over 60%
Facts: For the past 25 years ruled by Saddam Hussein, the people of Iraq have been subjected to poverty through territorial disputes, lavish palaces, and costly wars. The recent war of March 2003 has resulted in the end of the Saddam Hussein regime. Now there is much to be done to help the people of Iraq.
There is a continuing shortage of modern trained medical and paramedical personnel, especially in rural areas. The health system needs a jump-start to find resources for hospitals and health centres and to begin adequate waste and sewage disposal.
According to the World Health Organisation, “Extreme vulnerability characterizes the health situation of the Iraqi people. Several wars and 13 years of economic sanctions left a heavy toll on the nutrition of the population, on the social structure, on the economy and on the health infrastructure and services. Continuing widespread insecurity and lawlessness constrain the access to health facilities with the exacerbation of fighting in different areas of the country causing a large number of casualties.” (www.who.org) Operation Mercy’s Work in Iraq
Operation Mercy has a close history with Iraq. We were founded in an attempt to bring hope and relief to the Kurdish people after the Gulf War in 1991. As the 2003 war approached, Operation Mercy began preparing personnel and planning relief efforts with other NGOs and UN working groups. We are focusing particularly on medical and educational needs in the Al Qudisiyya Province between Baghdad and Basra. Current Operation Mercy Programmes:
Iraq 85 051 200
Iraq Relief We have been based in Iraq since the spring of 2003 and have seen many positive changes. The needs however are still very great and we hope that as an Operation Mercy team we will be able to see more positive changes in the society. Having distributed medical supplies and school stationary, we are now moving away from relief into development, with the aim of empowering the local community to take responsibility for the improvement of their personal lives, their community and their country.
Iraq Development
On the education side, Operation Mercy has been able to complete the refurbishing of another two schools during the month of January, bringing the total to five, after completing three schools in the countryside last summer. One of the two refurbished buildings hosts two girls’ secondary schools, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. A total of 523 girls are able to study in this school. During one meeting our staff were able to address the mothers and encourage them to allow their daughters to finish secondary education.
One of the development programmes is called CBR, Community Based Rehabilitation, where we are working with handicapped children in the area. People are very enthusiastic about the programme, and in a short time we have been able to accomplish a lot. However, the needs are great, especially in health education, and challenging the attitudes of the people takes time.

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