Contact: Margaret Aguirre Global Media Strategist maguirre@imcworldwide.org 310-826-7800

February 4, 2008, N'Djamena, Chad/Los Angeles, CA - With the capital of Chad coming under heavy attack from rebel forces, International Medical Corps' (IMC) essential staff are remaining in Chad to provide emergency medical services to refugees as well as the host community, while non-essential staff have been moved to safety.

"In addition to the needs of the civilian population in Chad, we are now extremely concerned about the growing humanitarian needs of refugees fleeing the violence into neighboring Cameroon," said International Medical Corps' Regional Coordinator Ben Hemingway.

Civilians in the northeastern part of Central African Republic (CAR) are also in increasing danger as rebel forces may move into the area. IMC staff in CAR remains in place to provide services to a target population of approximately 30,000 as needed. Meantime, in Darfur, Sudan, where IMC is serving an internally displaced and conflicted-affected population of more than 500,000, the medical staff is closely monitoring the situation there as well.

Thousands of civilians were fleeing N'Djamena on Monday after rebel forces trying to topple President Idriss Deby pulled back. But the rebels said they will resume their assault. Their offensive has opened a new conflict adjacent to the Darfur region, which is in the midst of a humanitarian crisis following years of civil war.

On Sunday, the UN Security Council held an emergency session to address the situation in Chad, with Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urging a ceasefire.

Since late 2003, over 200,000 people have fled fighting in Darfur and taken refuge across the border in the deserts of eastern Chad. International Medical Corps has been providing primary health care and nutrition services for over 60,000 Darfurians (approximately 25 percent of the total refugee population) in four camps — Kounoungo, Mile, Am Nabak and Gaga — as well as for 100,000 Chadians in the surrounding host communities. Services include curative care for the sick and injured, immunizations and other preventive care for children and pregnant women, and nutritional assistance to malnourished children and women of child-bearing age.

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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.