FIMA Year Book 2010-2011 - Federation of Islamic Medical ...

FIMA GLOBAL RELIEF
coordinator (LRC) to coordinate the FIMA
response to the disaster. After formulating a
holistic multi-disciplinary response, he
communicates the plan to the broader FIMA
membership and associated collaborators.
Continuous communications remains critical in
coordinating the response effectively and
efficiently. After the completion of the response, a
critical evaluation/audit is completed to
acknowledge all collaborators and remain
accountable to its membership. Further
consultation with its network determines FIMA’s
involvement in the long-term reconstruction and
rehabilitation phase of a disaster. Critical to this
process is a sincere acknowledgement of the
contributions of its collaborative partners to
remain accountable and transparent in all its
affairs.
Overview of Relief Activities Over The Past 2
Decades:
Digging into FIMA archives, we will
chronologically present various landmarks of
FIMA relief ventures. It is not intended to be an
exhaustive expose, since many local and regional
relief activities have been continuously undertaken
by various IMAs. But we hope this overview
would render a perspective of this awesome
undertaking, with its achievements, pitfalls,
challenges and hopes.
Some major relief projects will not be addressed in
this overview, such as FIMA Save Vision, Save
Smile, Save Dignity, relief of Pakistan’s
earthquakes and floods, and others. They will be
presented separately, by leaders who pioneered
them.
Bosnia and Herzegovina 1992-1995:
A prolonged human tragedy, where relief
encountered many obstacles, but with significant
achievements.
The 4 year unjust Serbian aggression started in
April 1992. By the second half of 1994, Sarajevo
became under siege, with continuous
bombardment by Serb forces from surrounding
mountains. 4
From 1992-1995, the Bosnian people suffered
tremendously from severe shortages of medicines,
consumables and medical instruments, let aside
food. Practically, all purchasing came down to a
halt! The only trickling supplies came from relief
NGOs.
Since April 6,1992, the Bosnian people suffered
extensive war casualties. Those who survived
were saved mainly by humanitarian aid, starting
with United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees (UNHCOR), then extended to other
NGOs, including Islamic relief organizations.
Targets for the Serb aggression included
purposeful and intended hospital destruction. The
number of hospitals has dwindled down from
29,000, pre-war, to 13,000, post war.
Many surviving medical professionals were forced
to flee Bosnia. The remaining ones received no
salaries for almost 3 years! Their numbers were
15,000 in Bosnia, and 6,000 in Sarajevo alone.
FIMA, through its European member,
ARABMED, was anxious to provide medical
relief, in the face of many formidable obstacles:
geographic, safety, financial and other logistics.
Dr. Wasim Tadfi, from ARABMED, left Zaghrib-
Croatia, with 3 other doctors, went inside Bosnia,
visited medical centers in Sarajevo in 1993, and
carried 15,000 Deutsche Mark (DM) which were
distributed to Bosnian medical professionals. The
team made 3 trips. At that early stage, a total of
95,000 DM were used for:
• Payments to medical professionals who have
been serving their communities without
salaries.
• Payments to the medical director of Bihac
Hospital, under siege, for his staff.
• Medical supplies and consumables, especially
to Bihac Hospital.
• Purchase of 2 ambulances.
Contributions came from FIMA members, with
significant ARABMED input. At that time the
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