History: from 2020 back to 2009

2020, four week deployment​​​​ ​​​​

After the fire in the Moria refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesbos, the camp was evacuated and people were relocated to a hastily erected camp. The ASB, together with the NGO CADUS, took responsibility for providing medical care for the occupants for eight weeks. During this time, the Greek authorities established national structures for the refugees. One challenge of the deployment was the fact that it took place during the second wave of COVID-19 and special measures were therefore required to protect people.

2020, two week deployment

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Mongolian government requested a team of infection prevention and control (IPC) experts in order to advise the public authorities on the topic of infection prevention and offer training for medical professionals.

two week deployment

Following cyclone Idai, Mozambique experienced an outbreak of cholera, putting further strain on the healthcare system which was already struggling structurally. The FAST assisted local health centres in the city of Beira with handling the outbreak, with the help of a team of doctors, logistics specialists and water specialists. The FAST thus made a significant contribution to containing the cholera outbreak.

two week deployment

The FAST trained employees at local health centres, as well as volunteers, as first aid trainers. This provided support for primary care in rural areas of Zambia.

two week deployment

The FAST received a request for support from local health centres in Zambia because the country experiences regular outbreaks of cholera. A team of doctors, logistics experts and water specialists implemented preventive preparations for such outbreaks at the rural healthcare facilities.

two week deployment

A FAST Team travelled to Dohuk in Northern Iraq to provide advice and medical training for medical staff in the camp. The deployment was part of a long-term project by the ASB country office in Northern Iraq.

two week deployment

The ASB country office in Indonesia started emergency aid measures following a major earthquake with tsunami on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. With a view to expand these efforts, a FAST team trained Indonesian colleagues in the use of water filters and handed these filters over to them to facilitate the provision of clean water to affected people.

In June 2017, the FAST was the first NGO to be classified by the WHO as EMT Type 1 fixed. This confirms to affected countries that the FAST works in accordance with international standards and makes the decision-making process easier

two week deployment

As a result of violent attacks on the Rohingya minority in Myanmar, several hundred thousand people fled to neighbouring Bangladesh. Huge refugee camps were hastily thrown up there. The Bengali partner organisation DDC received three drinking water systems as well as training on how to operate them from the ASB.

six week deployment

After hurricane Matthew, water filters were installed in communities in Haiti in collaboration with the ASB country office in Haiti. In addition, community representatives and employees at the ASB country office received training on operating and maintaining the water filters.

four week deployment

After weeks of rainfall, many rivers in Bosnia and Herzegovina broke their banks and flooded large swathes of the country. A lot of infrastructure, including water pipes, was destroyed as a result. The FAST was deployed with its drinking water treatment system, in close collaboration with the ASB country office in Bosnia. The team treated around 130,000 litres of clean water.

The video is here.

six week deployment

The FAST was deployed in the city of Palo for six weeks in order to ensure basic medical care for the population affected by typhoon Haiyan. Around 3600 patients were treated during the deployment.

six week deployment

Many people, particularly people with a Kurdish background, fled to the Kurdish part of Iraq following the outbreak of civil war in Syria. With this deployment, the ASB assisted the Iraqi authorities with the provision of medical care in a rapidly growing refugee camp. The Kurdish government began establishing long-term structures during the course of the deployment. The ASB therefore handed over the equipment to Doctors Without Borders for continuing care after the end of the deployment.

two week deployment

A four-person medical team from the ASB helped to provide care for people in Haiti following the major earthquake. The ASB members were part of the deployment team from the American organisation Harvard Humanitarian Initiative. They were deployed in a shared field hospital and made it clear how important collaboration between NGOs is for disaster relief operations abroad. During the regeneration phase of international aid in Haiti 2010, the WHO established the Emergency Medical Teams Initiative, which guarantees international standards for medical aid.

four week deployment

This was the first medical deployment for the FAST. In collaboration with colleagues from ASB Austria, two teams ensured basic medical care for people affected by the earthquake on the Indonesian island of Sumatra.