Malteser International Americas's Blog

World Toilet Day 2008: How children in Sri Lanka learn the importance of safe drinking water

Malteser International Americas — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 06:56:46 GMT

November 19, 2008 is World Toilet Day and the final event in the International Year of Sanitation. Thbis week, we'll look at some of our stories about water and sanitation. Today's story by Katrin Rehfuss tells how school children in...

New Photos from Pakistan Earthquake

Malteser International Americas — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 00:01:22 GMT

Malteser International has new photos of the effects from the deadly earthquake that struck last week in Pakistan, where a devastating earthquake hit on Wednesday, October 29. Malteser International is preparing for emergency relief efforts after a quake with a...

Devastating Earthquake in Pakistan: Malteser International Prepares Emergency Aid

Malteser International Americas — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 05:17:25 GMT

In the wake of the heavy earthquake in Pakistan, Malteser International is supporting the Joint Assessment conducted by the “Pakistan Humanitarian Forum.” The relief efforts include sending a medical doctor to the affected region in Beluchistan where the earthquake caused...

Malteser International Strengthens Relief Efforts in Eastern Congo

Malteser International Americas — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 19:26:46 GMT

The escalation of armed struggles in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo has triggered a further refugee crisis. "Even the north of South Kivu province—in particular the Minova region - is affected," Christoph Rumich, the Programme Coordinator of Malteser International reports from Bukavu. "Thousands are fleeing into this region out of fear of the brutal attacks happening in Goma. Particularly affected are women and girls, because rape is often used as an instrument of war. Many displaced people are traumatised and need not only food and shelter but also urgent psychosocial support.

Malteser International is continuing to expand its aid for the internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the Minova Region. "Already in the past few months 55,000 IDPs have been reg-istered here, who had fled from the fighting between the rebels (CNDP—Comité National pour la Défense du Peuple) and the government forces (FARDC—Forces Armées de La République Démocratique du Congo). Already during the last months, Malteser International had been of-fering intensive psychosocial care for the IDPs. "Now we must reckon with a further rising num-ber of fleeing women, children, and men", says Ruhmich.

In addition to psychosocial care, Malteser International conducts an assessment in the region in order to prepare food distribution programmes for the internally displaced persons to be realized in cooperation with the World Food Programme of the United Nations.

Malteser International has been working in South Kivu since 1996, and is currently represented there by 80 national and two international staff members. Malteser International runs projects in the fields of health care, psychosocial care and food security.

New floods in India: Malteser International extends emergency relief for flood victims

Malteser International Americas — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 10:41:29 GMT

"All streets here are flooded; in panic, the people escape onto dams", Annette Wächter-Schneider, Senior Desk Officer for India at Malteser International, currently travelling in the disaster region, reports. Uttar Pradesh/Cologne. The federal state Uttar Pradesh in northern India is...

"I Have Clean Water"

Malteser International Americas — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 07:45:47 GMT

We continue our look at clean water stories from Sri Lanka, as part of our WASH program (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) series. This story comes P.G Kalyani, a 38-year old woman in Magalthota. She has two sons and a daughter...

Clean Water Stories from Sri Lanka

Malteser International Americas — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 07:45:47 GMT

Clean water and hygiene is necessary in our daily lives. But what if you lacked access to clean water? Following World Water Week in Stockholm in August, we've received two heart-warming stories from people in Sri Lanka who have received...

Help Us Provide Aid for India's Flood Victims

Malteser International Americas — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 03:35:43 GMT

Intense flooding in India near the Nepal border has created an urgent need for resources. 10,000 to 15,000 families in the district of Basantpur alone are holding out on the remaining dams since nearly three weeks. The expert describes the...

On The SPOT: August Newsletter

Malteser International Americas — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 12:46:15 GMT

This month, Order of Malta Worldwide Relief - Malteser International Americas pays tribute to two colleagues who recently passed. We mourn the loss of Dr. Yohannes Ligiam and Anne Broquet, two extraordinary individuals who made their life's work in helping...

Celebrate World Water Week

Malteser International Americas — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 23:48:06 GMT

On August 18, the 2008 World Water Week was inaugurated iwith a conference in Stockholm. The theme of the week is “Progress and Prospects on Water: For a Clean and Healthy World with Special Focus on Sanitation.” It takes place...