EDOF & the International Committee of the Red Cross

A Partnership based on Common Values

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EDOF is proud to partner with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

"The Red Cross works hard to assist people separated from loved ones both in emergencies, ensuring they are treated with dignity, respect and compassion."

A Partnership
In its mission to support medical and social progress, EDOF has decided to establish a long-term strategic partnership with the single most emblematic humanitarian organization in the world: The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

The core values that drive the work of the ICRC are deeply reflective of EDOF's principles and mission.
 
Therefore, the board of the Essam and Dalal Obaid Foundation unanimously decided to lend a helping hand in order to join forces and help protect human dignity, aid suffering populations, and provide medical care to the victims of armed conflict.

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EDOF will be contributing to the efforts of two important projects led by the ICRC:
Provide medical care to the victims of the Syrian armed conflict and establish a center of knowledge and expertise in the field of weapon traumatology in Lebanon.
Help families who were separated during during armed conflict and natural disasters locate their loved ones and get back together (Restoring Family Links).

The ICRC & the armed conflict in Syria

Victims of armed conflict in Syria and other countries in the region started seeking medical treatment in Lebanon in 2011. By 2013, the ICRC was covering over 80% of their medical costs. Syrian and Lebanese weapon trauma victims are confronted with financial and infrastructural difficulties in their search for adequate medical care, yet the conflict is showing no signs of resolution.

The ICRC has put its 40 years of experience toward treating over 100,000 war trauma victims in an attempt to meet the growing needs of distressed individuals whose lives are at risk. The ICRC currently has 12 surgical teams and 10 surgeons working in 12 war-torn countries around the world. It also ICRC offers first aid, treatment, surgery, drugs, and much more to victims of bomb blasts, land mines, gunshots, and, in some cases, extreme and complex multiple traumas.

The ICRC has also developed numerous pedagogical tools to help local surgeons acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to treat weapon-wounded patients due to the fact that such war-specific medicine is not part of the standard university curriculum of Lebanese surgeons.

Further, one of the ICRC’s most effective and pragmatic responses to the crisis in Syria, and one of the two main projects to which EDOF is providing its support, is the establishment and management of the the Centre of Expertise in Weapon Traumatology in Al Chifae and Dar Al Zahra hospitals in Tripoli

The ICRC is also working to partner with Lebanese university hospitals to share its experience and help surgeons and other medical staff advance their approach to treating war trauma patients.
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The ICRC & Restoring Family Links

In war zones or disaster-stricken areas, one of the biggest and most distressing concerns of the victims is to locate and reunite with their loved ones. For the most vulnerable populations - the sick or disabled, the young and the elderly - fleeing dangerous situations can be stressful enough. However, the further uncertainty surrounding their family's fate can greatly affect their ability to cope with a crisis situation and their emotional trauma can deepen as the search for the missing family members drags on, often long after the crisis has ended.

Fortunately, the ICRC and the National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies work together all over the world to assist people separated from loved ones both in emergencies and in other situations, ensuring they are treated with dignity, respect, and compassion. This is done through a program called Restoring Family Links, or RFL.

RFL is made up of different activities and agents that allow separated individuals to get back in touch and put an end to the agony of not knowing the location of their family members. RFL connects families through telephone, Internet, hand-written letters, radio, or any other viable means of communication, depending on the circumstances. The resources allocated to RFL enable the Red Cross to provide these services free of charge, allowing even the most disadvantaged individuals to locate their missing loved ones.

For more information or assistance, visit the RFL website: familylinks.icrc.org
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Key Figures
Over 220,000 Syrians killed in 4 years of civil war
Children affected by the crisis in Syria
Over 50% of Syrian refugees are children
12 million people inside Syria need help
Syrian refugees in neighboring countries, half of which are children
In Lebanon, 1 in 5 individuals is a Syrian refugee
“Peace is possible in our world because the vast majority of people dream of it. EDOF’s goal is to provide them with the research and opportunities they need to make it real” Nawaf Obaid, CEO

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