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Vietnam: AmeriCares Disaster Relief and Humanitarian Aid

One could say AmeriCares was born in Vietnam. On April 4, 1975, a U.S. jet carrying 243 Vietnamese orphans crashed into the jungle outside Tan Son Nhut. A third of the children burned to death, many of the remaining victims were critically injured. Soon after, the Pentagon announced it would not have the resources to rescue the children for 10 days.

The world received this news with shock and a sense of helplessness. But one modest business man was compelled to take action – AmeriCares founder Robert C. Macauley. He chartered a Boeing 747 airplane and flew to Vietnam to rescue the young survivors. Within 48 hours, the children were safely in California.

The rescue was a success, but Macauley now had to deal a $250,000 airplane charter bill - a minor detail in his philanthropic mind. To cover the expenses, Mr. and Mrs. Macauley took out another mortgage on their home. "A fair trade," his wife Leila comments, "the bank got the house and Bob got the kids."

Born of unbounded compassion and sheer audacity, this mission set the stage for many more to come. When human lives are at stake, Macauley has no patience for bureaucracy. "You act now," Macauley advises, "and worry about the red tape later."

Macauley's commitment to the people of Vietnam continues through the organization he founded – AmeriCares. Today, despite Vietnam's relative economic stability, a health crisis has been on the rise. High rates of maternal mortality, pediatric malnutrition and childhood disease plague rural and impoverished communities. That is why AmeriCares sends critical medicines, medical supplies and nutritional support to help Vietnamese families and their young children.  

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Emergency Aid and Disaster Relief      

Devastating Typhoon Ketsana made landfall in Vietnam in late September 2009, killing over 150 people and severely damaging 250,000 homes. In response, AmeriCares worked with local partner The Giao Diem Humanitarian Foundation to ensure local children received emergency supplies of nutritional supplements to stave off the severe malnutrition that is so common in the aftermath of disasters.

Typhoon survivors were also helped by a delivery of ongoing medical aid valued at over $1 million. The shipment contained items of high impact in the relief efforts—pain relievers, personal hygiene items and equipment to help doctors diagnose patients.

Medical and Humanitarian Aid     

Since 2000, AmeriCares has donated over $47 million worth of critical medicines, medical supplies and humanitarian aid to Vietnam. AmeriCares partners with The Giao Diem Humanitarian Foundation to help provide health care for the poor and uninsured in communities in Southern and Central Vietnam. AmeriCares also delivers medical aid for network of hospitals and clinics throughout central Vietnam.

To reach rural communities, teams of 40-60 volunteer physicians, pharmacists and nurses travel to treat patients who would otherwise lack access to medical care. AmeriCares donated medicines and medical supplies to help the mobile treat up to 1,000 patients each month. In addition to supporting the mobile medical missions, products donated by AmeriCares help health professionals provide free treatment and care at dozens of clinics, hospitals, children's homes and elementary schools.

Studies show that even among Vietnam's poor, the rural poor, particularly ethnic minority sub-populations, are far more likely to be malnourished than the urban poor. That's why AmeriCares has partnered with Abbott since 2006 to support the Giao Diem Pediatric Nutrition Program.  

The program provides families with nutrient-rich foods and supplements which can be easily added to typical Vietnamese meals. Community engagement, education and evaluation helps keep children on track with the program. In 2008, malnutrition rates dropped 20% among participating children. Read more »

Help AmeriCares save lives in Vietnam and around the world »
AmeriCares is approved by the Internal Revenue Service as a 501 (C) (3) tax-exempt organization, and all donations are tax deductible to the extent provided by law. AmeriCares Federal Identification Number (EIN) is 061008595.