01 Sep 2005 - The International Rescue Committee is deploying an emergency team to Louisiana at the request of a local organization there, to support emergency relief and resettlement efforts for people displaced by the tragic hurricane disaster.
The IRC team will conduct a rapid assessment and lend insight and technical assistance to the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, which is already providing aid to displaced families in the city. The IRC will focus on the critical areas of health care, water supply, sanitation, shelter, learning and recreational activities for children, family tracing and sexual violence prevention.
The first team members will arrive tomorrow (Friday) in Baton Rouge, where the population is expected to double as more and more displaced people seek refuge there.
The IRC is committing its own resources to launch an initial emergency response and is accepting donations for its relief efforts in the Baton Rouge area. To support this effort, click here or call toll free: 1-877-REFUGEE.
The IRC’s mission is to provide humanitarian relief for refugees and displaced persons uprooted or affected by violent conflict and oppression. The organization does respond to natural disasters when they strike regions where the IRC is already operating.
The IRC also resettles refugees and other individuals who have suffered mass displacement, persecution, violence and other emergencies, in 22 cities across the United States. With extensive experience in providing housing, trauma assistance and links to needed social services, our resettlement network stands ready to assist hurricane victims in this time of crisis.
The IRC has come to the aid of tens of millions of refugees around the globe for nearly 75 years and understands the desperate circumstances those affected by the hurricane disaster now face. For IRC staff who work in the United States, it is particularly distressing to see this tragedy unfolding on their doorstep. The organization is committed to doing all it can to provide assistance.
