EMERGENCY is an independent and neutral international organisation founded in 1994 to provide free, high-quality medical and surgical care to victims of war, landmines and poverty.
EMERGENCY promotes a culture of peace, solidarity and respect for human rights.
Our work is made possible by the contributions of thousands of volunteers and supporters who choose to stand with us.
OUR PRINCIPLES
We believe that the right to care is a fundamental human right, so our approach to healthcare is based on:
EQUALITY
Every human being has the right to treatment, regardless of their social background, economic situation, gender, ethnicity, language, religion or opinions. New and better treatments made possible by progress and advances in medical science must be available to all patients, on an equal basis and without discrimination.
QUALITY
High-quality healthcare systems must be based on every individual’s needs and follow new advances in medical science. They cannot be steered, organised or defined by those financially invested in the healthcare industry.
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Governments must make the health and wellbeing of their citizens a priority. They must set aside the human and economic resources necessary for this end. The healthcare services that governments and humanitarian organisations provide must be free and available to all.
OUR OBJECTIVES
● FREE, HIGH-QUALITY HEALTHCARE
We offer free, high-quality medical and surgical care to victims of war, landmines and poverty.
● HUMAN RIGHTS-BASED MEDICINE
The right to be treated is a fundamental and inalienable human right belonging to every individual, without discrimination.
● SPREADING A CULTURE OF PEACE
We have actively promoted a culture of peace, solidarity and respect for human rights since day one.
● ABOLITION OF WAR
We deal with war every day; we see its consequences, we treat its victims, we talk about its horrors. But our goal is to abolish it.
HOW WE OPERATE
All EMERGENCY facilities are designed, built and run by specialised personnel, who provide training for local staff. We strongly believe that healthcare should be a basic human right; therefore EMERGENCY:
● Offers completely free-of-charge medical and surgical care
● Guarantees treatment to anyone in need of assistance, with no discrimination on the basis of political, ideological or religious beliefs
● Provides high-quality assistance
● Trains local staff thoroughly, with the intent of handing over all facilities to the local health authorities as soon as self-sustainability can be achieved
