Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
The Collective Voice of The Muslim World
Date: 22/12/2011
A delegation from “Médecins Sans Frontières” (MSF) visited the OIC Humanitarian Affairs Department in Jeddah to discuss ways and means of fostering further cooperation between the two organizations in the field of humanitarian activities in the Hajja Province where MSF runs a field hospital in Al-Mazraq refugees camp on behalf of the OIC and the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Yemen. The MSF delegation afforded the opportunity offered by its visit to make a thorough briefing about the activities of Al-Marzak field hospital which has been catering for the needs of the IDPs for almost two years now. In this vein, it was noted that in the year 2011, the total number of children who benefitted from therapeutic feeding came close to over 2,500 while the children under the nutrition programme stood at 7,331 and 6,700 in 2010 and 2011, respectively. Also it came to the knowledge of the OIC that 7,200 dressings and 25,100 diagnoses were carried in 2011. Still in 2011, 352 deliveries took place in the hospital; 181 medical surgeries were carried out whereas 620 cases of malaria were tested and treated by the staff. It was acknowledged that such efforts necessitated the MSF to mobilize a sizeable amount of financial resources to fulfill its obligations towards both the OIC and the Yemeni authorities. To this end, 1,211,518 Euros were spent in 2010 to run the field hospital and this budget was doubled by MSF in 2011, to reach 2,756,004 Euros so as to cover both the operational costs and the construction activities to be implemented to upgrade the hospital facilities. The OIC Humanitarian Affairs Department expressed its satisfaction to the MSF delegation for its well documented presentation and informed the latter of its readiness to extend their cooperation for another year. A MoU was signed accordingly between the two parties.
