MSF-USA: Field News 12/28/1998

MSF logo

NEWS UPDATE

Week of 12/28/1998

Hurricane Mitch Relief

MSF continues to deliver medical care and relief supplies to the most affected regions of Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and El Salvador. As communication lines and transport routes improve, MSF teams are able to reach more communities in Honduras and Nicaragua isolated by damage due to Hurricane Mitch. Epidemiological and nutritional surveys are being done regularly in certain hard-hit regions to monitor health and supplemental food needs. In general, cases of cholera, malaria, and dengue fever are not increasing. In Choluteca and Tegucigalpa in Honduras, MSF teams are repairing water and sanitation systems damaged by the flooding, and distributing water chlorination equipment and instructions.

Mobile Clinics Continue as Tensions Rise in Kosovo

Although recent violations of the cease fire agreement are making conditions increasingly difficult in Kosovo, MSF mobile clinics are still able to reach residents of this Yugoslavian province who lack adequate access to medical care. In the vicinity of the city of Pec, MSF held mobile clinics in Prapacan, Lumbardh, Drenovc, and Drelle, and distributed pharmaceutical supplies to three clinics and one hospital. The Pec team also sent relief trucks to nine villages in Pec and Decan municipalities, distributing a total of 300 mattresses, 26 rolls of plastic sheeting (for emergency shelters), 950 blankets, 200 water containers, 40 stoves, 80 baby parcels, 60 kilograms of detergent, and 20 food parcels. Teams also carried out immunizations in seven villages, and cleaned and disinfected nine wells in two villages in Decan municipality. Where possible, teams are also delivering chlorine solution, syringes, and instructions so that people can disinfect their own wells if the contamination is only organic. In the vicinity of Prizren, relief distributions have been made to five villages in Jakova municipality. Near Pristina, mobile clinics have been held in Tushila, Slakovc, Prekaz, and Qirez. The villages of Kopiliq, Kucice, Kozica, and Slakovc have also received relief supplies and an immunization campaign took place in Tushila and Rakinice.