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Medicines and medical supplies will aid flood survivors
Stamford, CT, Sept. 17, 2009 – AmeriCares is preparing an emergency airlift to aid survivors of deadly floods in Burkina Faso. Heavy rains battered the developing African nation in early September, damaging hospitals and forcing families to flee their homes for safety.
AmeriCares is sending nearly $200,000 worth of critical medicines and medical supplies to help the thousands of survivors living in temporary shelters with few supplies, no health care and little comfort.
Already one of the poorest countries in the world, the natural disaster is overwhelming Burkina Faso’s limited capacity to meet survivors’ basic needs. Medicines and medical supplies are in particularly short supply throughout the country.
AmeriCares aid shipment will include antibiotics to help treat infections spread by polluted floodwaters and medical supplies to help people with flood-related injuries.
Treatments for people suffering from severe dehydration due to a lack of safe drinking water will also be included.
AmeriCares has supported health care in Burkina Faso in recent years through its Medical Outreach Program. Since 2005, volunteer doctors and medical professionals on charitable medical missions have received over $133,000 worth of medicines and supplies to help the sick and suffering in Burkina Faso.
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About AmeriCaresAmeriCares is a nonprofit international disaster relief and humanitarian aid organization, which delivers medicines, medical supplies and aid to people in crisis around the world. Since it was established in 1979, AmeriCares has distributed more than $12 billion in humanitarian aid to 142 countries. For more information, log onto www.AmeriCares.org.