3 voluntary pr activities conducted by MERCY MALAYSIA

1) Total Disaster Risk Management

Initially focused on medical relief, MERCY Malaysia has evolved through the years into
a full-fledged humanitarian organisation, one of the few operating in the Global South.
The transition is in accordance to the Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS), where it was
discovered that critical needs such as drinking water and shelter are high on the priority
list following a disaster.

With that, MERCY Malaysia had a paradigm shift in 2005 by adopting the Total Disaster
Risk Management (TDRM) approach to our work. The TDRM approach is in line with the
Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA), which was adopted by 168 countries at the 2005
UN World Conference on Disaster Reduction in Kobe, Japan.

The HFA outlined five main action points, among them the importance of risk education
as an important element to help reduce vulnerabilities.

TDRM applies disaster risk management to all the phases of the disaster management
cycle – from emergency response, to recovery, prevention/mitigation and
preparedness/readiness.

2) Covid-19 Pandemic Fund

MERCY Malaysia launched its COVID-19 Pandemic Fund to support medical services
and the essential needs of marginalized groups within the country. This dedicated fund
is to implement the COVID-19 Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan – a plan for
humanitarian assistance to be delivered within a continuous cycle of total disaster risk
management that focuses on prevention, preparedness; response; and recovery. All aid
assistance and deliverables are coordinated with MOH and the National Crisis
Preparedness and Response Centre (CPRC), and the National Agency for Disaster
Management (NADMA).

3) Obstetrics & Midwifery Programme

The long-drawn war in Syria has destroyed basic facilities such as hospitals, schools,
education centers and others, affecting millions of people. One of the worse affected are
the children and youths, who face a bleak future. MERCY Malaysia’s Obstetrics and
Midwifery program is the one of its kind in Syria, training young ladies on basic nursing
and midwifery to help women in refugee settlements to deliver their babies safely. The
service provided is highly critical in this nation where the healthcare system is crippled
by conflict.