In 2004, Merlin supported an exhibition of survivors' photographs in earthquake-devastated Bam Read more...

Indonesia 2004 to 2007

Indonesia suffered the greatest devastation in the Asian tsunami, with more than 220,000 people killed or classified as missing. The province of Aceh on the island of Sumatra was the worst hit, being the closest inhabited area to the epicentre of the earthquake. Merlin worked in four districts of Aceh province: Aceh Besar, Aceh Jaya, Banda Aceh and Bireuen. After responding to the initial emergency, our teams then focused on rebuilding and renovating health facilities, improving water supply systems and sanitation facilities, and strengthening the health systems overall. Our teams trained over 500 health workers including 240 midwives, as well as rebuilding or renovating 55 clinics and health centres across the four districts.

Sri Lanka 2004 to 2008

Merlin started working in Sri Lanka following the Indian Ocean Tsunami of 2004. The initial focus was on emergency relief for the populations of Batticaloa and Ampara Districts. Following the emergency phase, we continued to operate in these districts, working with the Ministry of Health to lay the foundations for sustainable health care and to improve access to health facilities for people affected by conflict and disasters. By the end of 2007 Merlin had helped an estimated 287,000 households in Ampara and Batticaloa, as well as rehabilitating or rebuilding clinics and hospitals in the area. Merlin also worked alongside the Department of Health to implement the infection control programme - strengthening local capacity, training hospital staff, and supplying health facilities with equipment. It was highly successful in reducing infection rates. Ampara Hospital, for example, had an infection rate of 33.3 per cent at its surgical intensive care unit when Merlin began work there in August 2006. By December 2007, the rate was down to 0 per cent. Seeing the success, the Sri Lankan Ministry of Health decided to implement the measures advocated by Merlin at every hospital in the country.

Georgia 2001 to 2007

After independence in 1991, Georgia suffered periods of civil war and unrest. Tension has abated, but unemployment remains high and Georgia is now one of the poorest former Soviet Republics. Merlin began working here in 2001, helping local authorities expand their TB control network to rural clinics. By the time our project was completed, the TB treatment programme we'd help set up was benefiting over 750,000 people. We also laid the foundations for a modern and effective primary health care system in eastern Georgia. Our teams renovated and equipped 52 health centres, providing each site with essential equipment and medical supplies, so that newly trained family practitioners and nurses can deliver a comprehensive and higher-quality service.

Tajikistan 1992 to 2007

After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Tajikistan became an independent state. Despite being a relatively stable economy and population prior to the collapse, ethnic and political rivalries escalated into a five year conflict which left 60,000 people dead and 600,000 homeless. Merlin supported local health services by providing laboratory equipment and health workers to identify and treat diseases such as malaria, typhoid and brucellosis. Merlin also trained communities to prepare for natural emergencies and increased their capacity to cope with the effects.

Honduras 1998 to 1999

In the aftermath of Hurricane Mitch in 1998, Merlin set up mobile clinics, providing emergency healthcare to isolated Garifuna communities and restocked existing health clinics with drugs and equipment. We also supported health centres in La Mosquitia, north-east Honduras, and tackled cholera by distributing water disinfectants and pumping drinking water to Puerto Lempira hospital. To fight malaria, Merlin encouraged communities to use impregnated mosquito nets and drained swamps which acted as breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

India 2001 to 2002

In January 2001, a devastating earthquake in Gujarat left an estimated 25,000 people dead and more than a million homeless. Following a rapid assessment of health needs, Merlin constructed new or rehabilitated old health facilities, providing 14 health centres, a maternity ward, a blood bank and Ministry of Health offices in Bhuj. We also carried out a hygiene education programme, trained local staff, and established surveillance programmes to assist in detection and control of water-borne diseases.

Mozambique 2000

Rwanda 1995 to 1997

Following the genocide in Rwanda, Tutsi rebels of the Rwanda Patriotic Army attacked Kibeho refugee camp in April 1995, killing thousands of internally displaced Hutus. About 20,000 survivors of the massacre were herded into a football stadium at gunpoint. It was a chaotic and desperate situation. Within hours, Merlin health professionals set up an emergency field station inside the stadium and treated 700 individuals in a single afternoon. We also established temporary field posts for thousands of refugees forced to flee from other camps, providing medical assistance, including re-hydration, wound dressing, and measles vaccinations.

Iran 2003 to 2005

On 26 December, 2003, a devastating earthquake measuring 6.7 on the Richter scale struck the ancient city of Bam, killing more than 26,000 people and leaving 75,000 homeless. Merlin responded within 72 hours of the disaster, sending in a team to carry out health assessments and to distribute truckloads of emergency medical supplies, hygiene packs, and essential water and sanitation items. Merlin stayed in Bam for more than a year following the disaster, and helped build or refurbish 32 Medical Houses and 11 Health Centres.

Iraq 2003 to 2005

Merlin was one of the first international humanitarian organisations to enter Baghdad just days after the collapse of Saddam Hussein’s regime in April 2003. Teams delivered emergency health kits and medical supplies to paediatric hospitals and health clinics throughout Baghdad, focusing on the most vulnerable groups such as women and children. Merlin also helped train and equip local health authorities to re-start their activities and rehabilitate their war-ravaged infrastructure. In many areas of Baghdad, water and sanitation systems were very poorly maintained, with some areas regularly flooded by sewage. In response, Merlin implemented water and sanitation projects, that helped approximately 35,000 people in the Greater Baghdad area.

Russia 1994 to 2005

For over a decade Merlin worked with tuberculosis (TB) patients at Tomsk in Siberia. Following the collapse of communism, Russia experienced a 42 per cent increase in TB cases. Merlin pioneered groundbreaking treatment methods, combining traditional systems with new home-based treatment, to combat the rise in the disease. The work was so successful, that it was adopted by the Russian Ministry of Health as the nationwide flagship programme for TB treatment. Merlin also supported a hospital TB ward, and supported TB-infected prisoners with medical and social support before and after their release. At the close of programmes, TB incidences had fallen by 6 per cent in Tomsk, whereas elsewhere in Russia they had risen by 10 per cent.