Switzerland - IOM and AmeriCares, a US non-profit disaster relief and humanitarian aid organization, have agreed to strengthen their long-standing partnership to help vulnerable populations affected by humanitarian disasters.

At a ceremony held at IOM’s Geneva Headquarters, IOM Director General William Lacy Swing and AmeriCares’ Senior Vice-President, Global Medical Assistance and Emergency Response, Katherine A. Sears, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which lays the foundation for further collaboration between the two agencies.

The agreement reaffirms both organizations’ commitment to join forces in the development and implementation of programmes and interventions in the fields of migrant health, emergency health response for conflict-affected populations, emergency preparedness, psychosocial support in emergencies, labour migration, counter-trafficking activities, technical assistance, post-conflict demobilization and rehabilitation, poverty reduction, promotion of economic growth and support for human development.

“IOM has relied on AmeriCares’ help and partnership in numerous humanitarian operations. Its generous support through in-kind donations and cash grants has helped us to reach thousands of people in desperate need whose lives were at risk, in the wake of natural disasters or conflicts,” said Director General Swing.

“IOM is a trusted partner and one of our most important allies in times of crisis. We share with IOM a common appreciation of partnership and collaboration, which helps us provide better assistance to those who desperately need it,” said Mrs. Sears. “AmeriCares is committed to supporting partners like IOM to help people live healthy and productive lives,” she added.

The MoU builds on the existing partnership, most notably AmeriCares’ in-kind contributions of medicines, medical supplies and equipment. It also provides cash grants for transportation, logistics assistance, shelter, medical kits, surge health staff, the construction of temporary health posts or the repair of damaged health facilities, as well as global pre-positioning of non-food items.

IOM’s partnership with AmeriCares illustrates the strong role that the private sector can play in humanitarian operations and its tangible impact on vulnerable populations in need of assistance.

Since 2005, AmeriCares has supported IOM’s emergency and disaster response operations in 15 countries in Asia, Africa, the Caribbean and the Middle East to benefit thousands of victims of tsunamis, earthquakes, floods, typhoons, droughts, man-made disasters and migration crises.

For more information, please contact 

Dr. Nenette Motus
IOM Headquarters
Tel. + 41 22 717 93 55
Email: nmotus@iom.int