Emergency (organization)

Emergency (organization)
Name	Emergency
Native name	Emergency ONG Onlus
Founded	1994
Founder	Gino Strada, Cecilia Strada
Headquarters	Milan, Italy
Region served	Sierra Leone, Iraq, Afghanistan, Sudan, Central African Republic, Poland
Type	Non-governmental organization
Purpose	Humanitarian medical assistance

Emergency (organization)

Emergency is an international humanitarian non-governmental organization founded in 1994 by Italian surgeons Gino Strada and Cecilia Strada in Milan, Italy. The organization operates in conflict-affected and low-income countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Sierra Leone, Sudan, and the Central African Republic, providing surgical care, rehabilitation, maternal health services, and training. Emergency has collaborated with bodies including United Nations, World Health Organization, European Commission, and national health ministries, and has been recognized with awards such as the Right Livelihood Award.

History

Emergency was established in 1994 following humanitarian crises in the Balkans, with founders Gino Strada and Cecilia Strada responding to the Bosnian War and the humanitarian fallout associated with the Siege of Sarajevo. Early projects included surgical missions during the Rwandan genocide aftermath and in conflict zones such as Kosovo War areas. In the 1990s and 2000s Emergency expanded to long-term projects in Sierra Leone, addressing war wounds after the Sierra Leone Civil War, and later deployed to Afghanistan during the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) and to Iraq after the Iraq War (2003–2011). The organization has evolved from emergency surgery teams to building permanent hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and training institutions, while engaging with international frameworks like the Geneva Conventions.

Mission and Activities

Emergency's stated mission emphasizes free and high-quality healthcare for victims of war and poverty, offering surgical and rehabilitative care aligned with principles from the Hippocratic Oath and international humanitarian law embodied in the Geneva Conventions. Activities include constructing and managing hospitals, training local staff through partnerships with institutions such as Makerere University and national health ministries, running mine-clearance awareness aligned with Ottawa Treaty advocacy, and advocating at forums including the United Nations General Assembly and European Parliament. The organization also engages in public education and publishing through associations with media outlets such as La Repubblica and collaborations with cultural institutions like the Venice Biennale.

Organizational Structure

Emergency is registered as an NGO and operates through national branches including Emergency Italia, Emergency USA, Emergency UK, and Emergency Suisse, coordinated by a central secretariat historically based in Milan. Governance includes a Board of Directors and executive leadership roles held by medical professionals and administrators often connected to institutions like Harvard Medical School, University of Milan, and University of Oxford. Field operations are led by country program managers liaising with ministries such as the Ministry of Health (Iraq) and local hospital networks; logistical and supply chains utilize partnerships with agencies like Médecins Sans Frontières and International Committee of the Red Cross for emergency coordination.

Funding and Partnerships

Emergency's funding model combines private donations, grants from foundations including the Fondazione Cariplo and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and institutional contracts with the European Commission Humanitarian Aid Office and occasional contributions from national agencies such as Italian Agency for Development Cooperation. Corporate partnerships have included collaborations with logistics firms and medical suppliers; Emergency also partners with academic institutions for research projects and with international organizations like the World Health Organization for technical guidance. Transparency practices include published annual reports and audits in line with standards from entities like Charity Navigator and national regulatory bodies.

Programs and Services

Emergency operates a range of programs: surgical hospitals treating trauma from conflicts such as the Syrian civil war spillover effects; rehabilitation centers for victims of landmines and explosive remnants aligned with protocols from the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons; maternity and pediatric wards; prosthesis and physiotherapy units modeled on best practices from Rehabilitation International; and training academies for local surgeons and nurses with curricula informed by partnerships with universities like Johns Hopkins University and University College London. In addition to direct care, Emergency runs referral networks with regional hospitals and engages in community outreach in refugee settings, including cooperation with agencies such as UNHCR and International Organization for Migration.

Impact and Criticism

Emergency reports treating hundreds of thousands of patients, performing tens of thousands of surgeries, and training large cohorts of local medical staff, contributing to health system capacity in countries including Sierra Leone, Afghanistan, and Central African Republic. Evaluations by independent auditors and academic studies published in journals such as The Lancet and BMJ have examined Emergency's outcomes and cost-effectiveness. Criticism has arisen regarding neutrality and access in complex conflicts—issues also faced by organizations like Médecins Sans Frontières and Red Cross affiliates—and debates over engagement with military actors in zones of intervention, similar to controversies that affected NGOs during the Iraq War (2003–2011) and War in Afghanistan (2001–2021).

Awards and Recognition

Emergency and its founders have received international recognition, including the Right Livelihood Award, honors from the European Parliament, and national awards in Italy and abroad. Individual staff and institutional partnerships have been cited in global health forums such as the World Health Assembly and have been featured in documentary films and media profiles by outlets like BBC and Al Jazeera.

Category:International humanitarian organizations