Contact: Stephanie Bowen Communications Manager (310) 826.7800 sbowen@imcworldwide.org

Los Angeles, Calif. - International Medical Corps is deploying five medical teams into Gaza to address civilians' health needs in the aftermath of the conflict that began December 27. International Medical Corps teams are made up of primary health care practitioners who are cross-trained in mental health service delivery in post-conflict and recovery settings. With thousands injured and the health care system overwhelmed, International Medical Corps teams will provide much-needed support to Gaza's civilian population by providing basic primary health care and mental health and psychosocial support services.

The medical teams will operate out of mobile clinics adjoined to local primary health care centers in Al Attara and Zeitoun neighborhoods, as well as Khza'a, and Abasan villages, traveling to the underserved and affected populations. International Medical Corps' approach is fast and effective - bringing critical health and psychosocial services to the people where they live and conducting referrals for cases in need of comprehensive care. International Medical Corps' Mobile Medical Teams coordinate their activities closely with other local and international organizations and the Ministry of Health to help spread the word about services available in various areas of Gaza.

"Hospitals in Gaza are stretched to beyond their capacity and health workers have been running non-stop, some 24 hours a day," says Dr. Mustafa Elmasri, International Medical Corps' staff member in Gaza. "Major infrastructure damage and lack of human resources makes it critical that systems are supported to help health professionals respond to the overwhelming needs of families, including mental health."

International Medical Corps' mobile clinics will help alleviate some of the pressures at local hospitals and clinics. In addition, the clinics will offer critical mental health and psychosocial support.

In a rapid assessment of mental health and psychosocial needs in Gaza, International Medical Corps teams found levels of psychological stress, shock and grief common among residents. If left unaddressed, these conditions could lead to larger mental health issues that often emerge in post-disaster environments such as depression, anxiety, emotional trauma, family disintegration and domestic violence. The assessment also found children to be among those most affected by the conflict.

"These psychological issues could develop into emotional, behavioral, and educational problems among children," says Dr. Elmasri, a psychiatrist who led the mental health assessment. "While children are incredibly resilient, special interventions are needed to ensure that they have the support and systems in place to grow and develop to their full potential. Culturally, Gaza is a family-centered society, so interventions need to incorporate the entire family's involvement."

The massive movements of people in search of protection during the conflict forced many families to separate and live in overcrowded shelters. In its assessment, International Medical Corps found more than five or six families sharing the ground floor of buildings and many who had left United Nations school shelters to return to their badly damaged houses where they are vulnerable to unexploded ordnance and collapsing walls. The total number of people displaced by the war is still not determined, but some estimates predict more than 80,000 were forced from their homes. The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics estimates the complete destruction of more than 4,000 residences and the partial destruction of more than 17,000.

Gaza's already fragile public health infrastructure has been overburdened by the number of casualties, making humanitarian intervention all the more crucial. International Medical Corps staff report impaired access to clean water, electricity, and sewage disposal. That combined with the overcrowding in areas of refuge carry grave risks for the outbreak and spread of communicable illness.

In addition to deploying the mobile medical teams, International Medical Corps has been working with long-time partners Heart-to-Heart International, International Relief Teams, The Bridge Foundation, and others, to secure and ship critical surgical and medical supplies, in coordination with local humanitarian partners in Gaza and the region.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health reports that since the beginning of the Israeli military operation on December 27, 2008, more than 1,300 people have died and approximately 5,300 were injured in Gaza. In addition, Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Magen David Adom national society report that 13 Israelis have died and 518 were injured during the course of the conflict.

International Medical Corps is a global, humanitarian, non-political, non-sectarian, nonprofit organization dedicated to saving lives and relieving suffering through health care training and relief and development programs. With 25 years experience in emergency response and training, International Medical Corps has addressed both the physical and mental health needs of conflict and disaster survivors around the world, including those affected by the Darfur, Democratic Republic of Congo, the Iraq War and Southeast Asian tsunami.