September 1, 2008, Los Angeles, Calif. - As Hurricane Gustav makes landfall southwest of New Orleans, International Medical Corps (IMC) is preparing to help address the needs of communities in the storm's path. The organization builds on 25 years of disaster response programming that includes Hurricane Katrina, the Southeast Asian tsunami, and Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar.

International Medical Corps is coordinating with its local partners and volunteers who mobilized following Hurricane Katrina so it can provide immediate assistance to affected communities. IMC is also coordinating its assessments and response with the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and the U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM).

"As a first responder to some of the most devastating disasters of our time, we understand the immediate and long-term needs of tropical storm survivors," says Ben Hemingway, deputy director of international operations for International Medical Corps. "Our response to Hurricane Gustav expands upon an extensive disaster response portfolio so affected communities have not only emergency relief, but services that help them recover."

While International Medical Corps primarily focuses its humanitarian projects overseas, it is evaluating the situation in Louisiana and other Gulf states so that it can provide effective, rapid assistance wherever it is most needed.

International Medical Corps was one of the first organizations to bring emergency relief after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita - marking its first domestic response in its history. Called upon for its expansive disaster relief expertise, IMC teams worked in Louisiana and Mississippi to bring primary and mental health care services to displaced populations. IMC provided primary health services to more than 20,000 evacuees and residents, as wells as mental health support to youth living in FEMA trailer parks.

Because International Medical Corps has an extensive network of local partners in Katrina-affected areas, IMC is able to rapidly mobilize needed resources, as well as identify and meet longer term needs as the full impact of Hurricane Gustav unfolds.

International Medical Corps has responded to man-made and natural disasters throughout the world, including, among others, the recent devastation in Myanmar, the 2005 Pakistan earthquake, and the 2004 Southeast Asian tsunami. After the tsunami, IMC provided immediate relief services, and then worked to build up the region's ability to prepare and respond to future natural disasters on its own.

Hurricane Gustav first hit Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, The Cayman Islands, and Cuba, killing an estimated 85 people, before making landfall in Cocodrie, La., 70 miles southwest of New Orleans. A category two hurricane, Gustav is expected to continue to move inland through New Iberia, Baton Rouge, Houma, Morgan City, and Thibodaux. Over the weekend, approximately 2 million people along the Gulf Coast have already evacuated. Levees in New Orleans are expected to hold. The storm is the worst to threaten the Gulf and New Orleans since the devastating 2005 hurricane season that climaxed with Hurricane Katrina.

Since its inception nearly 25 years ago, International Medical Corps' mission has been consistent: relieve the suffering of those impacted by war, natural disaster and disease, by delivering vital health care services that focus on training. This approach of helping people help themselves is critical to returning devastated populations to self-reliance. For more information visit our website at www.imcworldwide.org.

Contact: Margaret Aguirre (310) 826.7800 office (310) 430-3215 cell maguirre@imcworldwide.org

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