Founded in 1994, Emergency offers high quality, free-of-charge health care to war and poverty victims. It has worked in 16 countries, building hospitals, Surgical Centers, Rehabilitation Centers, Pediatric Clinics, First Aid Posts, Health Care Centers, a Maternity Center and a Center for Cardiac Surgery. Following to a request from local authorities and other organizations, Emergency has also helped to renovate and equip pre-existing health facilities. As of spring, 2011, Emergency teams have provided assistance to 4,201,950 people.
Every day Emergency deals with the wreckage caused by war and for this reason it has always been committed to promoting a culture of peace.
In 1994 Emergency entered the campaign against antipersonnel landmines which brought Italy to ban them.
In 2001, shortly before the war against Afghanistan, Emergency appealed to the Italian people asking them to demonstrate against the impending war with “a white rag for peace” (Uno straccio di pace).
In September 2002, together with other organizations, Emergency launched a huge campaign to prevent Italy from taking part in the war against Iraq.
At the same time, Emergency promoted a nationwide petition campaign called “Stop the war, sign for peace” to ask for the enforcement of Article 11 of the Italian Constitution, which repudiates any act of war. The petition was submitted to Parliament in June 2003.
In 2008, with some African countries, Emergency has elaborated the Manifesto for a Human Rights Based Medicine asking for a medicine based on equality, quality and social responsibility.
Emergency is a recognized charitable organization (1998) and Non-Governmental Organization (1999).
In 2006 Emergency became an NGO partner of the United Nations Department of Public Information.
Emergency builds and runs:
- Hospitals specifically dedicated to war victims and surgical emergencies;
- Physical and Social Rehabilitation Centers for the victims of anti-personnel mines and other war injuries;
- First Aid Posts (FAPs) for emergency treatment;
- Health Centers for basic medical assistance;
- Pediatric Centers;
- Centers of medical excellence.
Emergency:
- Trains national staff to meet highly professional standards;
- Offers humanitarian aid to prisoners in conflict zones;
- Sets up development projects in the countries where it operates;
- Provides vocational training to landmine amputees.
In order to support Emergency’s goals on a broader international scale, in 2008 the volunteers of the numerous chapters operating throughout the US since 2005 founded Emergency USA.
For the same purposes, Emergency UK was founded in November 2007 (visit Emergency UK website). Emergency Japan started its activities in early 2011 (visit Emergency Japan website), as well as Emergency Switzerland.
Web site: http://www.emergency.it/history.html
