crisis report april 18, 2009

Federal Tax ID Number: 59-3779465 2381 Hylan Blvd, Suite 13B, Staten Island, NY 10306, USA.

www.TheIMHO.org Tel: 718-667 3535; Fax: 718-667 3536

Email: contact@theimho.org

April18,2009DearFriends,AsthesituationintheNortheastcontinuestodeteriorate,thereportsfromthegroundbegintorevealthetrueextentofthehumanitariancrisisfacinghundredsofthousandscaughtintheconflictzonesandintheIDP(InternallyDisplacedPersons)camps.Inadditiontothedeathsandinjuriesfromthefightingandagenerallackofadequatemedical&healthcareandotherbasicsupplies,thethreatofmalnutritionandstarvationarebecomeincreasingconcerns.Childreninparticulararethevictimswhenitcomestoalackofadequatenutrition,causingamyriadofdiseasesand,insomecases,death.Picturesfromtheaffectedareasshowchildrenwithwastedmuscles,decreasedgrowth,de‐pigmentationofskin,discolorationofhair,largebelliesduetoascites(fluidinthebelly)secondaryproteinmalnutrition,protrudingeyes,anddelayedphysical(andpsychological)development.Localdoctorsandhealthofficialshavedocumentedandreportedonthisreality,makingadesperateappealformilkpowderandotherfoodstuffstofeedthesemostvulnerablesegmentsofsociety.ThefoodsupplyintheconflictzonesandintheIDPcampshasbeeninadequateandirregular,asthoseconcernedstruggletomeetthemassivechallengesposedbythismassivehumanitariandisaster.TheWorldFoodProgrammehasbeenstrugglingtogetfoodtothoseinneedintheconflictzones,butover2weekspassedbetweenthelast2shipments,takingfoodsuppliestodangerouslylowlevels.Meanwhile,inflationhasalsocausedgreatheartache,asfoodpriceshavesoared.Withthevastmajorityofthoseaffectedalreadylivingatorbelowthepovertyline,thosewhohavebeendisplacedarefindingitdifficulttosurvive.Somerecentmarketprices(in1kg.increments)include: *RiceRs.300($2.60) *FlourRs.350($3.04) *SugarRs.2,000($17.39)

*OnionRs.9,000($78.26) *MilkPowder(400g)Rs.2,200($19.13) *ChiliRs.9,000($78.26)Therehavealreadybeenmanydocumentedcasesofchildrendyingfromdiarrhea,starvation,andotherillnessesrelatedtoseveremalnutrition.PleasehelpIMHOdeliverlife‐savingnutritionandsuppliestothosewhoaresufferingandclingingtolife.Weneedtosendanothershipmentofmilkpowdertotheconflictzonesinthenextfewdaystohelpstaveoffdisaster.Willyoubepartofthislife‐savingeffort??PleasedonatetodayeitheronlineorbysendingachecktoIMHOTreasurer,POBox61265,StatenIsland,NewYork,10306.Thankyou!