Press release -
Warwick woman on the frontline in DR Congo
An aid worker from Warwick has been getting healthcare to people caught up in the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Amy Beaumont, who grew up in Warwick and went to school at Myton, is in Goma, North Kivu province, where she works for the medical charity Merlin as Operations Manager.
In recent weeks, Goma has been at the heart of fierce fighting between the Congolese army and an armed opposition group called M23, forcing tens of thousands of people to flee their homes and live in makeshift camps. Many had already fled fighting earlier this year and are now on the move for the second or third time.
In a country where few receive vaccinations, malaria is endemic and nurses and doctors are in short supply, living in such precarious conditions leads to many health problems. Access to clean water is limited and diseases spread quickly.
Amy helped to launch an emergency response in partnership with UNICEF and OCHA*, immediately taking healthcare to the vulnerable communities who have been displaced by the fighting.
(If you are having difficulties viewing this video, watch it on YouTube)
The 26-year-old said: “Away from the newspaper headlines, the Congo’s displaced people urgently need medical assistance. Many of these people are fleeing for the second or third time with little more than the clothes on their backs.
As part of Merlin’s emergency response a temporary clinic has been set up in a camp outside Goma,
where 4,000 families are living in ramshackle tents or sleeping in the open air. Health workers have been stationed in the clinic and now treat up to 170 patients a day for diseases such as malaria, diarrhoea and respiratory infections. Children are also being treated for malnutrition, which is increasing day on day as people are removed from their homes and livelihoods.
“We’ve treated nearly 900 patients in less than a week, and we can say that without our help at least 27 people would have died.”
“Perhaps the best – and the worst – bit about working in an emergency response is that it never stops. You are constantly on the go, making sure that we are meeting the needs of these vulnerable people. It’s utterly exhausting, but nothing could be more rewarding than seeing the clinic full of patients, the staff busily going about their work, and people smiling as they receive the treatment they are so badly in need of.”
“I am so proud of my teams, all of whom were also affected in one way or another by the conflict. They have been working day in and day out to provide emergency medical at times less than 10 miles from the frontline of the fighting. I can truly say that the Merlin North Kivu team is a real force for health.”
As the Operations Manager for Merlin in North Kivu, Amy oversees all of Merlin’s work in the province. A typical day could involve anything from visiting health centres or handling security incidents to checking budgets, organising training and meeting partners.
Amy has worked in DRC since May 2011. She is no stranger to emergency response, having been posted to Haiti with Merlin in 2010 following its devastating earthquake.
*As part of the Rapid Response to Population Movement (RRMP) programme
ENDS
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Topics
- Health, Health Care, Pharmaceuticals
Categories
- dr congo
- medical charity
- merlin
- emergency response
- healthcare to vulnerable communities
- risk of health disasters
- international health charity
An aid worker from Warwick has been getting healthcare to people caught up in the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Amy Beaumont, who grew up in Warwick and went to school at Myton, is in Goma, North Kivu province, where she works for the medical charity Merlin as Operations Manager.
In recent weeks, Goma has been at the heart of fierce fighting between the Congolese army and an armed opposition group called M23, forcing tens of thousands of people to flee their homes and live in makeshift camps. Many had already fled fighting earlier this year and are now on the move for the second or third time.
In a country where few receive vaccinations, malaria is endemic and nurses and doctors are in short supply, living in such precarious conditions leads to many health problems. Access to clean water is limited and diseases spread quickly.
Amy helped to launch an emergency response in partnership with UNICEF and OCHA*, immediately taking healthcare to the vulnerable communities who have been displaced by the fighting.
The 26-year-old said: “Away from the newspaper headlines, the Congo’s displaced people urgently need medical assistance. Many of these people are fleeing for the second or third time with little more than the clothes on their backs.
As part of Merlin’s emergency response a temporary clinic has been set up in a camp outside Goma,
where 4,000 families are living in ramshackle tents or sleeping in the open air. Health workers have been stationed in the clinic and now treat up to 170 patients a day for diseases such as malaria, diarrhoea and respiratory infections. Children are also being treated for malnutrition, which is increasing day on day as people are removed from their homes and livelihoods.
“We’ve treated nearly 900 patients in less than a week, and we can say that without our help at least 27 people would have died.”
“Perhaps the best – and the worst – bit about working in an emergency response is that it never stops. You are constantly on the go, making sure that we are meeting the needs of these vulnerable people. It’s utterly exhausting, but nothing could be more rewarding than seeing the clinic full of patients, the staff busily going about their work, and people smiling as they receive the treatment they are so badly in need of.”
“I am so proud of my teams, all of whom were also affected in one way or another by the conflict. They have been working day in and day out to provide emergency medical at times less than 10 miles from the frontline of the fighting. I can truly say that the Merlin North Kivu team is a real force for health.”
As the Operations Manager for Merlin in North Kivu, Amy oversees all of Merlin’s work in the province. A typical day could involve anything from visiting health centres or handling security incidents to checking budgets, organising training and meeting partners.
Amy has worked in DRC since May 2011. She is no stranger to emergency response, having been posted to Haiti with Merlin in 2010 following its devastating earthquake.
*As part of the Rapid Response to Population Movement (RRMP) programme
ENDS
Notes to editors:
Amy has worked for Merlin since September 2009, starting out as an intern at head office in London before being posted to Haiti and DRC.
The DRC is slowly recovering from a conflict often called Africa's first world war, which claimed five million lives and all but destroyed the country’s health system. Parts of the country are still plagued by violence and health is poor at the best of times, with nearly one in five children dying before their fifth birthday.
Merlin has been in DRC since 1997, providing medical relief in emergencies and working with the Ministry of Health to support and strengthen the entire health system in North Kivu and Maniema. This includes primary healthcare, treating malnutrition, providing family planning services and training midwives to tackle maternal mortality. Merlin currently reaches 900,000 people in North Kivu and helps to run 38 clinics.
Merlin (www.merlin.org.uk) is an international health charity, saving lives in the world’s toughest places. Merlin responds with healthcare when people are overwhelmed by natural disaster, conflict or disease. After the immediate crisis, Merlin stays on to assist recovery – building resilience so that those at risk of future health disasters are better prepared.
For further information and assistance please contact:
- Louise Halfpenny, Media Manager
T +44 02070141703, M +44 07557280026 E louise.halfpenny@merlin.org.uk
- Anna MacSwan, Media Officer
T +44 02070141735, M +44 07824487465 E anna.macswan@merlin.org.uk
