Relief International is a humanitarian
non-profit agency that provides emergency relief, rehabilitation, and development
assistance to victims of natural disasters and civil conflicts worldwide.
Founded in 1990, RI's energies initially focused on providing relief
materials in areas such as Iran, Bosnia, & Azerbaijan. Since
1993 RI has directly provided emergency, rehabilitation and development
projects to affected populations in Afghanistan, Chechnya, Tajikistan and
Vietnam. In 1998 RI expanded its services to Burundi and Rwanda followed
with Kosovo, Albania and Turkey in 1999. Activities have assisted
vulnerable communities in primary and reproductive health and family planning,
shelter, reconstruction, relief, education, community development and income
generation sectors.
AZERBAIJAN
Shelter & Rehabilitation - 1993 to Present
RI currently has shelter programs in the districts of Agdam, Acgebedi, Gabala, Goranboy, Ismailli, Oguz, Sheki, Saatli and Yevlax, with field bases in Berde and Terter. The primary focus of the program is the development of settlement communities for approximately 2000 refugee and internally displaced (R/IDP) families identified as extremely vulnerable living in self-made shacks, abandoned public buildings and train compartments. Current activities include rehabilitating 900 war-damaged houses through self-help methods and constructing 250 limestone shelters, 3 schools, and 2 clinics. Houses are equipped with electricity, latrines, bathhouses, and water facilities. Schools, medical clinics and community centers are also an important component to the development of these communities.
Micro-Enterprise/Income Generation - 1993 to Present
RI's micro-credit and income generation programs in Agdam, Barda, Ismailli, Oguz, Saatli, Sheki, Terter, and Yevlax districts are targeting over 1200 families (many being single women-headed-households) living in RI settlements built for the displaced. The focus is to provide individual positive motivation, social cohesion, and economic independence among devastated, war-affected, displaced people who have settled in Azerbaijan. As a result of this project, over 290 businesses have been established through a loan delivery process that to date has a very low delinquency rate of 1.2% and a 0% loan loss rate. The project has been successful in establishing small businesses of which 46% are owned by women in vulnerable communities. To date, 165 clients have paid back their loan with an additional 3% (per month) interest without any late repayment during their loan term. Apart from small businesses being established, basic business and market planning training organized by experienced loan advisors, are carried out to all loan recipients prior to and after loan disbursement.
Livestock & Agriculture - 1996 to Present
RI is providing rural development and agricultural support services to vulnerable families in the Acgebedi, Agdam, Berde, Beylegan, Nakhichevan, and Terter districts. RI's focus is on assisting war affected families of agricultural backgrounds who have lost livestock possessions during the war with methods to help increase their household income. Current activities include restocking of sheep, veterinarian extension services, training, and credit services. In addition, RI is providing extension business training to over 100 family enterprises, planting trees, equipping nurseries and providing seeds for kitchen gardens.
Education & Community Centers- 1993 to Present
RI's focus is on refugee and internally displaced (R/IDP) students who have minimal or no access to adequate educational services in the Agcebedi, Baku, Berde, Beylegan, Imishli, Mingechevir, Oguz, Saatli, Sabirabad, Sheki, Terter and Yevlax districts. The concentration of the project is on improving access to education for R/IDP children whose schools have been destroyed. To date, RI has built and equipped 517 schoolhouses, sponsored training seminars, and hosted day camps targeted for R/IDP children. The program has also promoted peace and tolerance education through training for teachers and administrators and providing conflict resolution curriculum for war-affected students. In 1999 RI is looking to build 3 new schools and provide textbook sets to 1000 R/IDP children. RI's education program is a combined effort with local partners, Khazar University (Baku) and BUTA, a local non-profit organization promoting children's education.
Primary Health Care - 1993 to Present
Over 220,000 R/IDPs with severely limited access to primary health care services are being served in the Agdam, Agdash, Akhsu, Balu, Beylegan, Gabala, Goranboy, Mingechevir, Oguz, Qax, Saatli and Terter districts, with field bases in Agcebedi, Barda, Ismailli, Sheki and Yevlax districts. The goal of the program is to increase the access to and improve the quality of health services available to this vulnerable R/IDP population. With the provision of lifesaving preventive and curative care through emergency campaigns such as immunization, landmine awareness and mobile health units, there is greater access and improved quality of primary health care for 179,166 R/IDPs. Another important component is capacity building through training of 135 community health promoters, Ministry of Health staff from 20 local Feldscher Accuscherka Points, 8 doctor ambulatory centers, and 8 polyclinics and Sanitary - Epidemiological Statistics. Currently, RI is providing clinical services to remote areas with 5 mobile health units and restoring the national Blood Bank Center in Baku through rehabilitation of building facility, provision of equipment/supplies, and re-training of lab technicians and staff.
Reproductive Health - 1993 to Present
RI's program aims to provide free, clean,
quality reproductive health, family planning and prenatal care services
to about 50,000 refugee and displaced women of child bearing age who normally
would not have access to such needed services. The program focuses
on community-based education, training and outreach activities for government
health workers and lay volunteers. RI is also conducting research
with the US Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention to access high-risk
groups for STDs and HIV/AIDS. RI's program is operated through partnerships
with local agencies such as Sevil Women's Madylis, a national NGO promoting
reproductive health awareness, Shusha Doctors Humanitarian Society which
provides free clinical services in Baku, and the Women and Development
Center which delivers clinical services & health education.
ALBANIA
Safe Water & Sanitation for Health Facilities - August 1999 to Present
In response to the need for potable water and proper waste disposal systems at select health care sites in rural Albania, RI proposed a rapid and direct project to distribute and install water tanks, boilers, sinks, and toilets. Approximately 90,000 people from 15 health posts, clinics and policlinics within the districts of Berat, Elbasan and Korce were provided access to potable water and adequate waste disposal systems. In addition, RI provided patients with basic education on sanitation and hygiene practices to ensure the long-term sustainability of heightened medical and personal health practices. The overall goal of this program is to provide a greater ability for health care workers to maintain sanitary conditions and reduce the potential risk of disease transmission in the workplace, leading to an overall improvement of care provided by the Albanian health care system.
Clinical Waste Management - September 1999 to Present
The goal of this program is to increase and maintain appropriate levels of clinical waste disposal for districts heavily impacted by the refugee crisis. By strengthening the capacity of the medical waste management and disposal systems, there will be a sustained decrease in excess morbidity and mortality of the Albanian population. RI's main objectives include ensuring the disposal of medical waste in the six districts of Berat, Seranda, Kukes, Korce, Mat and Pogradec, to waste disposal sites that exist in nearby regions. Activities include the procurement of infectious waste bags and the implementation of seminars and training sessions for education and instruction on proper handling of medical waste.
Reproductive Health - September 1999 to Present
RI is providing access to reproductive health services in the districts still housing refugee populations in Albania. The goal of the program is to substantially increase the accessibility and quality of reproductive health services and information for remaining Kosovar refugees and host populations within the district of Durres and select areas of Tirana. This project builds on a decided strategy, derived jointly with the Albanian Family Planning Association (AFPA) for extending sustainable reproductive health and women's health services. The benefits are not only to the remaining and vulnerable refugees, but will be extended to women within the host population whose access to these reproductive health services had been traditionally non-existent or difficult to access. RI aims to reduce infant and maternal mortality rates among refugee and host population women as well as the number of abortions by increasing the knowledge about the practice of appropriate family planning. In addition, there is a focus on identifying, monitoring and controlling sexually transmitted diseases along with improving the overall capacity of the local health care system.
BURUNDI
Livestock Restocking - 1998 to Present
During the Burundi crisis, destocking of livestock has led to decreased availability of manure, lowered purchasing power making basic necessities difficult for families to purchase, and increased malnutrition. The goal of RI's program is to improve the capacities of households in Gitega Province through the provision of livestock, in the context of enhancing mixed farming systems, nutrition, and income generation. Major activities to date include implementing training for farmers and veterinarians, livestock restocking activities, the provision of veterinary medical treatment and supplies, and the physical construction and rehabilitation of goat houses and grazing units. Over 100 farmers have so far received training by means of field days, farmer exchanges, and workshops. A total of 40 zero-grazing units have been constructed and 40 more are under construction to help increase access to manure which is collected in these units. RI has also assisted in the renovation of 2 large goat houses, which are used for maintaining stock.
KOSOVO
Rebuilding Health Care Systems
RI is rebuilding and rehabilitating damaged and destroyed health facilities. By providing trained medical and nursing staff with essential pharmaceutical and health care supplies to primary and tertiary health care facilities. Construction of new health structures in Kosovo is taking place in the districts of Prizren and Rahovec in the villages of Bella Crka, Gjonaj, Romaj, Lubishda and Nashec. In cooperation with UNHCR and other non-governmental organizations, RI is coordinating the care of internally displaced Kosovars in the district of Prizren. Currently, RI is overseeing coordination of care and medical services for 300 Albanian, Serbian and Roma IDP's (internally displaced persons) in the Prizren district.
Shelter Winterization - September 1999 to Present
Due to the destruction of numerous homes, businesses, villages and cities hundreds of thousands of ethnic Albanians are left homeless. The goal of the program is to reduce the vulnerability of internally displaced persons and returning refugees in Kosovo's Rugova Canyon region to harsh winter conditions through winterized shelter in the inhabitants' original homes. RI is providing appropriate winterized shelter for 5,652 people living in 628 residential units in the Rugova Canyon region by the onset of winter. This region is characterized with a high level of destruction, mountainous and rugged terrain, narrow roads which are difficult to maneuver, significant snow loads, and dispersed villages and family living units. Shelter is constructed by voluntary and communal work crews for highly vulnerable communities such as the elderly, single women, and the disabled.
Reproductive Health - October 1999 to Present
RI is implementing a reproductive health program that aims to upgrade primary health care capacity and provide critically needed training for health professionals on a variety of reproductive health issues. The goal of RI's program is to reduce excess maternal and infant morbidity and mortality during the period following the liberation of Kosovo and transition from conflict to reconstruction. This will be achieved by increasing women's access to reproductive health services through the provision of quality reproductive health related equipment and supplies, as well as training to health providers. In collaboration with World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), RI is using lessons learned from focus groups and previous reproductive health programs to implement a culturally appropriate training curriculum concentrating on the needs of local women. Training to selected health care professionals on a variety of reproductive health issues will help integrate reproductive health activities into primary care delivery. Trained providers will implement training programs in their respective communities to ensure sustainability of reproductive health activities.
TURKEY
Earthquake Relief Effort - August 1999 to September 1999
RI organized 3 successive relief teams that were dispatched over a 40 day period. RI's first team arrived from its regional base in neighboring Azerbaijan shortly after the disaster cutting travel time to a fraction. Second and third waves of relief personnel arrived from RI's base in California. Rescue evacuation teams were able to save 6 lives from the rubbles of the earthquake. Medical clinics were set up immediately in close collaboration with the Department of Social Services and in coordination with the Civil Emergency Unit in Izmit. Four stationary clinics were set up in tent camps in the town of Izmit, and the villages of Kullar, Guvacik, and Bahcick to provide outreach health services to the displaced and homeless. Mobile clinics operating in Golcuk were serving displaced peoples in various remote locations where health services were unavailable. Over 5,560 earthquake victims were able to receive clinical treatments from RI relief teams and medical volunteers. Requests for assistance from two polyclinics in Golcuk allowed RI to provide human and material resources such as pharmaceuticals and other medical supplies. RI also helped to expand on the existing medical services by providing continued medical outreach services to the current clinics, and outreach services through 6 tented clinics in campsites in Golcuk.
