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Recently the organization "Doctors Without Borders" announced they had reached the quota of donated money to do their work in Haiti, but people still keep on donating through small grass-roots parties around the United States. Eight-nine percent of their funding comes from private sources, not government. Known as MSF globally, the United States refers to it by its official English translation, Doctors Without Borders, which in 2006 had more than three million individual donors and private funders.

Created in 1971 by a group of French doctors and journalists after the Miafra sucession, Médecins Sans Frontières has become an international medical humanitarian organization which provides aid to approximately 60 countries. Reserving the right to speak out to neglected crises, advocate for improved medical treatments, and challenging inadequacies or abuse of the medical aid system, in 1999 they received the Nobel Peace Prize based on their humanitarian principles of medical ethics and impartiality.

Operating independently without any religious, political or military agenda, MSF does not open any programs without first conducting evaluations of a population's medical needs. In Haiti, MSF is assisting with those with severe trauma and orthopedic surgeries. Another emergency situation they are assisting in is with obstetric care for pregnant women and life-saving operations (such as Caesarean sections).

Committed Individuals Working With MSF

It is not unusual for over 27,000 individuals to be assisting people in a crisis during one day  through MSF. The fields involved with the workers are wide-ranged:

Doctors

Nurses

Logistics experts

Administrators

Epidemiologists

Laboratory technicians

Mental Health professionals

There are 19  MSF offices ( Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and the United States) which are scattered throughout the world, with the office in New York originating in 1990.  Ten percent of a crisis area's team consists of the international staff, with the remaining percentage consisting of aid workers coming from the area in crisis itself.

Volunteering With MSF

People can help out in several areas of MSF. They can work  or volunteer in the field, in the MSF offices,  or as a paid internship. On-line donations are another way to serve MSF ranging from $35.00 to $10,000.00 or higher. Calling 212-763-5779 from 9am to 5pm EST is available for more information to donate.

(Brigg Reilley image information)