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Powered by Serviceonsite S.r.l.
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(17/07/2006)
APPELLO CONGIUNTO DEL DR. RAVEL,DEL DR KOICHI NAKAKUKI E DI COI PER IL LIBANO
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All health care professionals should be aware of the humanitarian disaster occurring right now in the country of Lebanon.
The current situation in Lebanon is cruel, unjust, and horrible. As always, innocent civilians pay the price and suffer the consequences for decisions taken by politicians.
The entire civilian infrastructure is in Lebanon is being systematically destroyed. Scores of innocent civilians are being killed every day. The ordinary people of Lebanon are completely besieged from the air and the sea. No one can leave or enter the country. Villages are cut off from each other, and from other main cities. All of the entrances to the capital, Beirut, are blocked. The roads, bridges and overpasses of the south have been bombed to the point where the entire area is debilitated. Villages in the south of the country have been destroyed. The international airport, runways, and gas tanks for the civilian planes have also been blown up. The electrical plant in the south was bombed early on. Many parts of the nation’s capitol are without power.
Among the civilians trapped in Lebanon is the NISCTV (in arabic Beit Atfal Assumoud). The National Institute for Social Care and Vocational Training (NISCVT) is a non-governmental organization (NGO). This wonderful charitable organization was established on August 12, 1967. It was dedicated to improving the quality of life for the thousands of children living in the refugee camps. This group of professionals works in the Palestinian refugee camps, providing for the health and well-being of the children.
I, Dr. Daniel Ravel, a pediatric dentist working with the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF), and Italian Dental Cooperation (COI), have been collaborating to update our dental colleagues in the refugees camps with training courses. We have been privileged to provide them with hands-on clinical training, as well as dental supplies and material. The last training session took place in January, 2006.
The NISCVT has five dental clinics, all co-located with the kindergartens, which provide
dental care. They provide free dental treatment, prevention, and dental health
education. Their preventive program targets kindergarten children ages 3-6 years,
their mothers, and their care givers. Children of another program sponsored by NISCVT,
the Family Happiness Program, as well as the social worker of the NISCVT, are also
direct beneficiaries of the five dental clinics, which operate at full capacity.
There are 5 dental clinics operated by the NISCVT. Three in the south, one in Beirut, and
one in the north of the country. The dental clinics serve 24,424 refugees!
NISCVT Patients & Number of Visits in 2004
Area KG children Family Happiness Mothers & staff Others
No. of Children No. of Visits No. of Children No. of Visits No. of Patients No. of Visits No. of Patients No. of Visits
Beirut 1493 5831 350 778 223 636 986 1981
North 1001 3780 177 262 150 290 730 1230
South 2009 5211 493 1753 497 1310 892 1362
TOTAL 4503 14822 1000 2793 870 2236 2108 4573
Many other NGOs from various countries collaborate with NISCTV: Germany, Japan, Switzerland, Italy, Sweden, Belgium, USA, Turkey, France, Malaysia, Norway, and Spain. Together, they support a number of remarkable ongoing projects: the Child Sponsorship program, Children’s Educational and Recreational Activities, a Literacy and Training program for youth and women, a Vocational Training program, a Mental Health program, eight kindergartens, and the five dental clinics.
The ordinary people of Lebanon are peaceful and innocent. They deserve a normal life. They don’t deserve all of this misery. The children must be terribly frightened. They need to go to school, and not get bombs dropped on their heads.
Let’s give them a chance to go on with their lives. Let’s give the children a healthy future. Give us the possibility to cooperate for peace.
Stop the bombing, killing, and carnage now!
The Undersigned:
Daniel Ravel, DDS
Diplomate, American Board of Pediatric Dentistry
COI ( Cooperazione Odontoiatrica Internazionale)
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