MERCY Malaysia Deploys Three-Person Assessment Team and Launches Somalia Relief Fund

25 August 2011– MERCY Malaysia is deploying a three-person needs assessment team to Mogadishu and launched the Somalia Relief Fund to support subsequent medical and humanitarian response there.

“Given our focus in medical relief and sustainable health programmes, we will be assessing various locations within Mogadishu. According to reports from the UN Office for the Coordination for Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA), there are cases of cholera, measles and dengue as well as malnutrition and acute watery diarrhea. As we have anticipated those needs, we are putting plans in place for subsequent teams to come in and support us,” said MERCY Malaysia President, Dato’ Dr. Ahmad Faizal Ahmad Perdaus.

According to UN OCHA, Mogadishu has approximately 470,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) who are living in over 100 scattered camps in the city.

“We will also be visiting project sites under Muslim Aid to see how we can provide assistance, and this is timely as we have recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with them back in May,” he said, adding that the team has been in constant communication with Muslim Aid regarding the situation in Mogadishu.

Led by MERCY Malaysia Vice President, Assoc Prof Dr Mohamed Ikram Mohamed Salleh, the team comprises the Head of Relief Operations, Mr. Hew Cheong Yew, and 27-year-old Somalian volunteer student, Mr. Yasir Mohamed Ahmed–Baffo who will be serving as a translator.

“After extensive background work and collaboration with our international partners - including Muslim Aid, UN agencies and the Transitional Government in Somalia - we are very optimistic and hopeful of a successful outcome of the mission,” he concluded.

The assessment team will be flying to Bahrain today at 7.50pm, and is expected to arrive in Mogadishu on Friday 26 August.

Concerned individuals and organisations can donate to the MERCY Malaysia Somalia Relief Fund through the following bank accounts:

MAYBANK (account name: MERCY HUMANITARIAN FUND, account number: 5621-7950-4126, ABA Swift Code: MBBEMYKLA), or
CIMB Bank (account name: MERCY Malaysia, account number: 1424-000-6561053, ABA Swift Code: CIBBMYKL).

Donations via cheque are payable to MERCY MALAYSIA