Doha: The recent relief intervention initiated by Qatar Red Crescent (QRC) to help victims of floods and landslides in Myanmar is not the first, as its relief workers have been working there for three years to relieve victims of violence in Rakhine state since 2012.
In September 2012, a QRC representative office was opened in Myanmar to supervise its activities. The office has conducted projects at a cost of $1.8m (QR6.7m), serving 111,270 people and thousands of indirect beneficiaries.
QRC’s track record in Rakhine involves building 60 480-unit housing complexes, installing 60 water pumps and 180 sanitation units, another 60 pumps in neighbouring camps, rehabilitating three health centres with medical equipment and staff, distributing 1,000 hygiene kits to 500 families, financing small projects, offering charitable loans, and creating jobs for 500 families.
QRC also built 50 400-unit housing complexes for internally displaced persons’ (IDPs) camps, equipped with 25 water pumps, 100 toilets and cement sewage pipes for better hygiene.
In September 2013, QRC extended its medical clinics for six months until March 2014, which helped fill the gap caused by the halted activity of Doctors Without Borders in Rakhine. The clinics served over 30,000 IDPs.
In the health sector, QRC’s office is operating three clinics in Rakhine IDP camps this year by employing medical staff, provided with medications and equipment, in coordination with the local health department.
In terms of economic empowerment, QRC created opportunities of livelihood in poor towns and neighbouring IDP camps, in cooperation with International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
Financial aid was given to 550 families to improve their living standards and create jobs.
QRC also conducted a vocational training and livelihood project in cooperation with UK Muslim Aid.
It involved training 120 poor families in sewing to produce and market clothes. Beneficiaries will keep the sewing machines after training.
As the only Qatari and Arab organisation working in Myanmar, QRC mobilised an emergency mobile hospital to offer primary healthcare to the injured and will distribute tarpaulin sheets to 1,600 families.
THE PENINSULA
