Archive for category: News

Current world crisis news from CMAT

CMAT Rapid Assessment Team deploying to Philippines Wednesday

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CMAT Volunteers check equipment, including the field hospital tent, in anticipation of deployment to the Philippines.

CMAT Volunteers check equipment, including the field hospital tent, in anticipation of deployment to the Philippines.

ASSESSMENT TEAM DEPLOYMENT: 

CMAT has mobilized its Rapid Assessment Team, which will depart for the Philippines early Wednesday morning in response to the catastrophic typhoon which struck the island nation on November 8th.  The four-member team will conduct a needs assessment on the islands of Cebu and Leyte, and the environs, to ascertain the level of devastation, destroyed infrastructure, and health needs of cyclone- affected persons, in order to prepare for the deployment of CMAT’s field hospital and medical personnel.

CMAT needs your help to assist those impacted by the typhoon in the Philippines. Please donate generously by clicking:

Donate Now Through CanadaHelps.org!

 

or by donating your Air Canada Aeroplan miles:

aeroplan logo

 

For those who wish to download a fundraising poster, to print out and post in their community,  please click here:   CMAT Philippines Fundraising Poster

VOLUNTEERING WITH CMAT: 

We thank all interested individuals for their overwhelming offer to volunteer with our organization.  At the present time, we are awaiting the findings of the assessment team, in order to deploy the first medical team.  These findings are key in building the professional profile of our teams of volunteers, as well as to decide the most appropriate equipment and supplies so send to the area.

Minimum Requirements for Volunteering: (Medical and Non-Medical Volunteers)

*A preference will be given to volunteers with disaster experience, and training in Sphere Minimum Standards for Humanitarian Response.  (course is being offered November 16-17, 2013 in Toronto.  Click here to send an email to register!)

– Canadian Passport with minimum 6 months left from expiry.

– Medical volunteers must provide proof of Canadian Professional Registration or Licensure.

– A minimum availability of 3 weeks duration

– Willingness and ability to fund their own travel (fundraising is encouraged through our website, and volunteers can be recognized by submitting their name “in honour” during the donation process).

– An understanding that this is a hardship mission, and will be exhausting.

– Interested volunteers are encouraged  to visit the Canadian Government’s Travel Health website to ensure your vaccinations are up to date.

 

DEPLOYMENT UPDATES

While we strive to distribute regular information to our mailing list and keep our website as up-to-date as possible, other sources of information from CMAT which would be updated more frequently would include Facebook and Twitter.  Please follow us there for rapid up-to-date information!

 

CMAT Rapid Assessment Team on standby for Philippines Typhoon.

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Super-Typhoon Haiyan made landfall in the Philippines in the early morning hours of November 9, 2013.

Super-Typhoon Haiyan made landfall in the Philippines in the early morning hours of November 9, 2013.

 

Super Typhoon Haiyan (known locally as Typhoon Yolanda) made landfall in the early hours of November 8th in Eastern Samar province in the Philippines. It had maximum sustained winds of 315 km/hr making it the strongest storm ever to make landfall and the fourth most powerful storm ever recorded in history. Flash floods, landslides and wind damage are reported in Eastern Samar and Leyte provinces. Waves reached 12 to 15 feet in Samar and Leyte.

At least 18 million people live in the worst affected Visayas Region. The Government of the Philippines conducted comprehensive preparedness activities including evacuations of 125,604 people in 22 provinces according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDDRMC).

The cities of Tacloban and Ormoc in Leyte province were the worst hit. Communities in Cebu and Bohol provinces lying close to the Typhoon’s track are still reeling from the impact of a 7.1 magnitude earthquake which hit the area on 15 October 2013. Homes and businesses in Tacloban were destroyed, while the town’s airport has been reported have sustained major damage. Strong winds have interrupted telecommunications, which has limited the information received from the most affected areas, especially Eastern Samar and Leyte. Electricity is out in Tacloban, which raises concerns for access to water, as pumps would be ineffective. The Governor of Leyte stated that power lines were down, roads impassable and that there is need for food, flash lights and other non-food items.

CMAT’s Disaster Rapid Assessment Team response has been activated, and is standing by, pending further developments. Skilled and highly experienced CMAT volunteers who have previously responded to disasters in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Japan and Haiti are ready to deploy, depending on need, and include paramedics, and experienced Emergency Nurses and Nurse Practitioners. CMAT collaborates directly with the local community and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN-OCHA), and has the capability to deploy a fully equipped, inflatable field hospital, and water purification equipment anywhere in the world within 24 to 48 hours.

CMAT appeals to its supporters to donate towards the relief effort.

Please donate generously at http://www.canadahelps.org/dn/16574 or

Click here:

Donate Now Through CanadaHelps.org!

CMAT kicks off it’s “Get on the ground” campaign!

 AeroplanBeyondMilesLogo

November 1 – 2013, CMAT in partnership with Air Canada Aeroplan’s Charitable Pooling Program “Beyond Miles” has launched the “Get on the Ground campaign to help raise donated aeroplan miles for CMAT. The Beyond Miles program focuses on supporting organizations who want to improve the lives of people in their communities. Using a pool of donated Aeroplan Miles, CMAT can redeem them from the Aeroplan Program for travel on Air Canada and its partners, which will help our volunteers offset their travel costs.

In partnership with Air Canada Aeroplan, help us reach our goal of 500,000 Aeroplan miles by November 30th!

Donate your miles at: http://beyondmiles.aeroplan.com/

CMAT Launches online survey of members, to guide 2014-2017 strategic planning process

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SEO_survey_reuslts-1024x768In anticipation of our upcoming Annual General Meeting of members in mid-November, CMAT is launching a survey of our members to help guide our strategic planning process for 2014-2017. This online survey should take less than 5 minutes to complete, and your opinion matters! Thank you for helping CMAT to grow and prosper!!

Click the link below to participate in the survey!

http://freeonlinesurveys.com/app/rendersurvey.asp?sid=92s6hi8nv47gftl354728&refer=www%2Efacebook%2Ecom

OCHA releases Flash Update on Philippines earthquake – over 100 people confirmed dead.

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People walk along a damaged road in the province of Bohol on Tuesday, October 15. (AP Photo)

People walk along a damaged road in the province of Bohol on Tuesday, October 15. (AP Photo)

A 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck the central Philippines island of Bohol early Tuesday morning, a little after 8am local time. The effects of the quake was felt in Cebu city which is about 37 miles (60 kilometers) north of the epicenter.

The Philippines Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) have confirmed four people killed in Bohol province and two in Cebu. Several structures in Bohol, including churches and homes have been damaged. In Cebu, a church collapsed along with an open market. Mactan airport in Cebu has also suffered damage with several cracks appearing on the runway. Seaports in Bohol and Cebu are affected. In response, the local government has mobilized quick response teams and is assessing further damage.

CMAT continues to monitor for further developments.

For more information, visit the website of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs