Läkarmissionen’s role as a relevant humanitarian actor
Lakarmissionen has been engaged in humanitarian work for a long time through support to partners. Through the merge with IAS, this relevance has grown, as the humanitarian engagement of the different IAS country offices has been in some of the hardest to reach places, reaching some of the most vulnerable populations.
Läkarmissionen humanitarian work is conducted with strong adherence to the Humanitarian Principles of: Humanity, Impartiality, Neutrality, and Independence. Our localised presence in the areas with some of the world’s most complicated humanitarian situations has been appreciated by communities that we have worked with.
Between April 2019 and March 2020, we were able to serve some of the most vulnerable people in Niger, South Sudan, Sudan, and also engaged in the ongoing refugee crisis in Uganda. Our unique expertise and the capacity in our local teams where we work are critical in the work we do, as recognised in the various coordination systems locally.
In Niger, we managed to serve 14 400 people affected by the conflict and other disasters; while we managed to serve 31 800 people in South Sudan. In these interventions, our WASH expertise has brought hope to affected communities through the provision of clean water for domestic use, enhanced sanitation and hygiene practices, and even contributing to the combating of malnutrition in connection to our water activities. All this has been done in a very cost-effective manner, with an estimated average cost per person in Niger being 471 SEK and in South Sudan 234 SEK. Communities have appreciated the support received and considered this as one of the best ways affected communities can be served, since we do not bring water in a truck to deliver to the people for a day, but we drill boreholes that will sustain the communities for many years as they are maintained ..
We have been a relevant humanitarian actor, and we will seek to continue doing so for the sake of humanity.