** FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ** Tyler Marshall Director of Communications - Washington DC tmarshall@imcworldwide.org 1 202-828-5155 ext. 309 1 240-485-8391 cell

Dr. Patrick Mweki IMC Somalia Country Director - Nairobi 254-73-3620958 pmweki@imcworldwide.org

After Floods and Fighting in Somalia IMC Fights Possible Cholera Outbreak Nairobi, Kenya, February 6, 2007 - International Medical Corps personnel are responding to a suspected cholera outbreak in the central Somali town of Beletweyne. Over the past few weeks, IMC has seen an increase in patients with acute watery diarrhea (AWD) in the area. At least one patient tested positive for cholera and is now being treated by an IMC team. Since the beginning of January IMC has treated 171 suspected cases. Due to IMC's long-term involvement in Somalia, the organization had cholera supplies in place and was able to quickly establish a treatment center. As the lead agency in the Cholera Task Force for the area, IMC is working closely with other organizations to make sure efforts are closely coordinated. "IMC has worked for years to improve the bad conditions in which Somalis are living. The floods and the fighting have made everything worse. A cholera outbreak is the latest humanitarian toll of the recent and long-term problems all Somalis face," says Dr. Patrick Mweki, IMC Country Director for Somalia. IMC's commitment to the people of Somalia began in 1991 when it was the first American non-governmental organization to arrive in war-torn Mogadishu following the overthrow of then President Siad Barre. The current outbreak is being attributed to the severely contaminated drinking water. The city was devastated by the recent floods when nearly 80% of residents were displaced. Delivery of critically needed medical supplies has been hampered since the Beletweyne airstrip was damaged during the floods. The fighting between the interim Transitional Federal Government and the Islamic Courts Union further destabilized the lives of many Somalis. IMC asks all partners involved to make the Beletweyne airstrip accessible for urgently needed humanitarian assistance.

International Medical Corps is a global, humanitarian, nonprofit organization dedicated to saving lives and relieving suffering through health care training and relief and development programs. Established in 1984 by volunteer doctors and nurses, IMC is a private, voluntary, nonpolitical, nonsectarian organization. Its mission is to improve the quality of life through health interventions and related activities that build local capacity in underserved communities worldwide. By offering training and health care to local populations and medical assistance to people at highest risk, and with the flexibility to respond rapidly to emergency situations, IMC rehabilitates devastated health care systems and helps bring them back to self-reliance.

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