Medical Teams International Launches Campaign to Raise $1 Million USD by August 31
“Rise to the Moment” Urges Immediate Response to Provide Basic Health Services
Portland, Oregon USA, Aug. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Medical Teams International, a global health and humanitarian relief organization, has launched “Rise to the Moment,” a fundraising campaign to help drive our urgent work to provide compassionate, life-saving healthcare to people in crisis around the world. The goal is to raise $1 million USD by August 31, leveraging a $500K match donation made to the campaign.
Severe Funding Crisis
The global humanitarian aid sector has faced enormous funding challenges in 2025, due to the U.S. government’s dissolution of USAID, deep funding cuts to many UN agencies, and decreased availability of funds worldwide. Despite sharply rising needs due to hunger, conflict, and displacement, the U.S. and the international community are pulling back aid, impacting some of the world’s most vulnerable people.
Among them are roughly 122 million people around the world who have been forced to flee their homes. Families and individuals who have been displaced experience high levels of physical and emotional distress and are at greater risk of life-threatening illnesses. In Uganda, home to nearly 2 million refugees, stockouts of key medication and supplies due to procurement delays by UNHCR are increasing. Also, high workloads for medical staff – 75 consultations per clinician per day last quarter – mean patients who are fortunate enough to be seen are receiving less time and attention.
Medical Teams’ Work
Medical Teams works in seven countries including the U.S., and our dedicated local staff and community health volunteers provide essential healthcare to refugees, internally displaced people, and host communities. For 45 years, we’ve been saving lives, alleviating suffering, and restoring human dignity by offering comprehensive services in health, nutrition, and mental health. We serve in complex humanitarian settings where healthcare systems have been disrupted, access to care is limited or nonexistent, and external assistance is required.
Available Aid Difficult to Access
Many of Medical Teams’ health services fit into the current administration’s definition of life-saving work and have thus been deemed eligible for humanitarian waivers and reimbursement of program expenses incurred earlier this year. However, many do not qualify but are potentially life-saving. These activities, like addressing mental health conditions such as PTSD, as well as moderate malnutrition, are the pillars that support the safety and well-being of children and families at border points and in refugee camps and settlements. For example, food rations have been scaled back significantly and nutrition supplements for pregnant and lactating women are no longer available in many areas.
“All of our staff and volunteers are determined to rise to the moment to meet more needs and save more lives, and we’re so thankful for the donors who have already joined us,” said Eric Ha, Medical Teams President & CEO. “However, as we navigate this time of great uncertainty, we need many more people of goodwill to join us. We believe in the American people’s compassion, generosity, and sense of common humanity. If there was ever a time to demonstrate those virtues, it’s now.”
$500K Campaign Match
Medical Teams is grateful that an anonymous donor has committed a $500,000 match to the Rise to the Moment campaign. We aim to raise another $500,000 by August 31 to maximize the donation, enabling us to provide vital health services to people in crisis and facing vulnerability.
For more information or to give, visit https://www.medicalteams.org/donations/ and https://annualreport.medicalteams.org/
About Medical Teams International
Founded in 1979, Medical Teams International provides life-saving medical care for people in crisis, such as refugees, internally displaced persons, and survivors of conflict zones and natural disasters. Daring to love like Jesus, we care for the whole person and serve all people. Learn more at medicalteams.org and on social media using @medicalteams.
Attachments
Karen Piatt Medical Teams International 2067080355 kpiatt@medicalteams.org
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
