Helping the Wounded and Chronically Ill in Libya

The situation in Libya changes by the hour as opposing forces fight for control of the country, but one thing that doesn’t change is the human price paid out daily. Medicines and medical supplies are hard to come by even as the number of severely wounded, both civilians and fighters, is on the increase.

TPRF has teamed up with International Relief & Development (IRD) to help bring pharmaceuticals and medical supplies into the war-torn areas. IRD has obtained a donation of US$11 million-worth of pharmaceutical goods from a supplier in Amsterdam. But getting them to those who need them is no easy task.

A grant of US$25,000 will cover about 25% of the cost of IRD’s plan to distribute urgently needed medical relief in Libya and along the Tunisian border. The successful delivery of emergency medicines and medical supplies to refugee camps bordering Libya is already helping thousands of trauma victims and chronically ill evacuees endure the challenges of their volatile situation.

Amnesty International reports that as many as 18,000 refugees a day fled Libya's war zones in the early weeks of the conflict. The majority are expatriates from sub-Saharan Africa who had originally sought asylum in Libya and now hope to find it in neighboring countries. Others are foreign workers trying to return to their home countries. But many are being turned back at border crossings, swelling the populations of already crowded transit camps in freezing weather.

One of the first to respond to the crisis, IRD immediately recognized the need for trauma medications and life-supporting pharmaceutical supplies (such as insulin) for people with chronic conditions. In Libya, "there are right now critical shortages in pharmaceuticals that treat non-emergency but urgent critical conditions that, if unmet, could lead to loss of life," said Daniel P. Puls, IRD's chief of advancement. "High blood pressure, high cholesterol, cancer, Type II diabetes, and other renal disorders that require ongoing treatment are widespread."

"TPRF’s generous grant will have immediate, lifesaving impact," Mr. Puls said. "It will cover the costs to reach approximately 12,500 beneficiaries. By ensuring that the supplies in serious demand reach those requiring treatment, we are preventing further loss of life during this humanitarian crisis."

 Photo credit: Photo Credit:  International Relief & Development

ShareThis