Refugee NYC: Heroes of the Week

MSF (Médecins Sans Frontières), or Doctors Without Borders, set up a refugee camp in New York City this weekend to model camp conditions.  It was a fantastic exhibit!  They took over a corner of Central Park with tents, potable water, and model clinics to show what their work is like abroad.

To give you a sense of their "reality medicine," they had visitors carry 5 gallon jugs of clean water.  (They were HEAVY).  In the best conditions, every person in the camp receives 5 gallons of water a day (per person).  This is for drinking, cooking, bathing, etc.  In comparison, the average American consumption of water is 100 gallons per day (or 20 of those jugs...).

Doctors & nurses who have served with MSF gave guided tours of the camp (mine lasted over 1 1/2 hours), showing refugee conditions, and explaining the amazing work MSF does.  In the tour, they really explained both the political and medical conditions they work under.  My tour guides worked in the Sudan and Darfur.  The extremes of the refugee camps were hard to recreate on a balmy Sunday afternoon in New York.  Nevertheless, our guides carefully explained MSF's efforts at sanitation, nutrition, and medicine.

This was the entryway to the exhibit.  You waited in line, in front of a gate, to enter the camp.

Throughout the camp, "no arms" signs like these were ubiquitous.

This is an example of a Sudanese shelter, made from plastic tarp.

Although MSF works primarily with medicine, they also have some nutritional programs for the malnourished.

This is a picture of the mobile lab where they triage patients.  In addition, they also run vaccination clinics, cholera clinics, and malnutrition clinics.  Quite literally, MSF goes where few others will. I've written about their work before because I admire their work greatly and I think their public outreach efforts are exceptional. 

More pictures on my flickr account (click on the flickr badge in the left hand column).

Action Steps:

Go to the display--
In New York
Prospect Park, Brooklyn
Wednesday, September 20 - Sunday, September 24
9:30 am to 6:30 pm daily

The Meadow, Piedmont Park, Atlanta
Wednesday, September 27 - Sunday, October 1
9:30 am to 6:30 pm daily

Centennial Park, Nashville
Wednesday, October 4 - Sunday, October 8
9:30 am to 6:30 pm daily

Can't visit one of those locations?

Visit MSF on the web.  Donate.  Lots.  They are funded primarily by private donors.  They do NOT accept money from the U.S. Government, in part so that they can function neutrally and without limitations on their services.  (They do accept money from the EU).

Comments

[The Fat Lady Sings]

Doctor's Without Border's and the associated Veterinarians Without Borders are two organizations I believe in and endorse wholeheartedly. Were I physically able – I would volunteer my time. As it is – I give money when I can. Good for you featuring DWB’s work like this. It’s so important.