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Concerns have been raised about the communication barriers put in place by this organisation and its refusal to reply to questions concerning how people's donations are spent. The charity's website gives contradictory data about the percentage of donations actually spent in the field. The charity's website does not show an e-mail address. There is a difficult to find message system, but repeated requests for information sent using this system are always ignored. A genuine charity would be only too happy to engage with potential donors, so potential donors might wish to draw their own conclusions..

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+Concerns have been raised about the communication barriers put in place by this organisation and its refusal to reply to questions concerning how people's donations are spent. The charity's website gives contradictory data about the percentage of donations actually spent in the field.  The charity's website does not show  an e-mail address.  There is a difficult to find message system, but repeated requests for information sent using this system are always ignored.  A genuine charity would be only too happy to engage with potential donors, so potential donors might wish to draw their own conclusions..
-{{Infobox Non-profit
-| Non-profit_name = Medair
-| Non-profit_logo = [[Image:Medair Logo.png|100px]]
-| Non-profit_type = Humanitarian Aid
-| founded_date = 1989
-| founder =
-| location = Switzerland
-| origins =
-| key_people =
-| area_served = 7 countries
-| focus = Emergency Relief and Rehabilitation
-| method =
-| revenue =
-| endowment =
-| num_volunteers =
-| num_employees =
-| num_members =
-| owner =
-| Non-profit_slogan = Medair brings life-saving relief and rehabilitation in disasters, conflict areas, and other crises by working alongside the most vulnerable.
-| homepage = [http://www.medair.org medair.org]
-| dissolved =
-| footnotes =
-}}
-'''Medair''' is an international non-governmental organization [[NGO]] of [[humanitarian aid]] with a stated mission, "to seek out and serve the most vulnerable people affected by crises."<ref>Medair. [http://www.medair.org/en/who-we-are/ “Who we are”]. Retrieved November 26, 2010.</ref> Medair’s core competencies are emergency relief and rehabilitation.<ref>Medair. [http://issuu.com/medair/docs/annualreport2008?viewMode=magazine&mode=embed “Annual Review 2008”],  pp.10-11. Retrieved December 15, 2010. </ref> Medair lists its values as: hope, compassion, dignity, accountability, integrity, and faith.<ref>Medair. [http://issuu.com/medair/docs/medair_annual_review_2007_en?viewMode=magazine&mode=embed “Annual Review 2007”], p.7. Retrieved December 15, 2010. </ref>
-Medair’s statutes were registered in 1989 with the Registre du Commerce of the state of Vaud, Switzerland.<ref>(French) Registre du Commerce, [http://www.rc1.vd.ch/extrcomp.asp?nofed=CH-550-0080686-7 “Medair”]. Retrieved November 30, 2010. </ref> Its international and operational headquarters are based in Switzerland. In 21 years, Medair has been active in 27 countries, working in some of the most remote, hard-to-reach places in the world.<ref>Medair. [http://issuu.com/medair/docs/annual_report_2009?mode=embed&viewMode=presentation&layout=http%3A%2F%2Fskin.issuu.com%2Fv%2Fcolor%2Flayout.xml&backgroundColor=FFFFFF&showFlipBtn=true “Annual Report 2009”], p.5. Retrieved December 15, 2010 </ref> It is independent of any political, economic, or social authority. As a signatory of the [[Code of Conduct for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and NGOs in Disaster Relief]], the organization provides aid to the most vulnerable, irrespective of race, gender, religion, age, or nationality.<ref>International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. [http://www.ifrc.org/publicat/conduct/code.asp “The Code of Conduct”]. Retrieved November 28, 2010.</ref>
-Medair has approximately 1,300 employees worldwide, many with years of humanitarian experience.<ref>Medair. [http://issuu.com/medair/docs/annual_report_2009?mode=embed&viewMode=presentation&layout=http%3A%2F%2Fskin.issuu.com%2Fv%2Fcolor%2Flayout.xml&backgroundColor=FFFFFF&showFlipBtn=true “Annual Report 2009”], p.6. Retrieved December 15, 2010</ref> Medair’s annual operating budget in 2009 was USD 34.7 million.<ref>Medair. [http://issuu.com/medair/docs/annual_report_2009?mode=embed&viewMode=presentation&layout=http%3A%2F%2Fskin.issuu.com%2Fv%2Fcolor%2Flayout.xml&backgroundColor=FFFFFF&showFlipBtn=true “Annual Report 2009”], p.51. Retrieved December 15, 2010</ref> Its programs served 3.2 million beneficiaries in 2009.<ref>Medair. [http://issuu.com/medair/docs/annual_report_2009?mode=embed&viewMode=presentation&layout=http%3A%2F%2Fskin.issuu.com%2Fv%2Fcolor%2Flayout.xml&backgroundColor=FFFFFF&showFlipBtn=true “Annual Report 2009”], p.4. Retrieved December 15, 2010</ref>
-The organization currently has programs running in [[Sudan]], [[Haiti]], [[Democratic Republic of Congo]], [[Madagascar]], [[Afghanistan]], [[Somalia]], and [[Zimbabwe]]. Recent programs have been run in [[Albania]], [[Angola]], [[Armenia]], [[Bangladesh]], [[Chad]], [[Chechnya]], [[India]], [[Indonesia]],[[Ingushetia]], [[Iraq]], [[Iran]], [[Kenya]], [[Kosovo]], [[Liberia]], [[Mozambique]], [[Ossetia]], [[Rwanda]], [[Somalia]], [[Sri Lanka]], [[Pakistan]], [[Uganda]], and [[Zimbabwe]].
-==History==
-===First Operation===
-In 1988, a small group of eight volunteers, led by Drs. Erik and Josianne Volkmar, traveled to conflict-affected Soroti, Uganda, with the support of three partner organizations: Medicaments pour L’Afrique (MEDAF), [[Mission Aviation Fellowship]] (MAF), and [[Youth with a Mission]] (YWAM). Their objective was to form an organization that could respond more quickly to crises than their own organizations could.<ref>(French) Jeunesse en Mission (Youth with a Mission). [http://www.40ansjem.ch/index.php/fr/histoire.html “Historique 1979-1988]. Retrieved November 30, 2010.</ref> This first project provided support for displaced people as they resettled into towns that lacked essential services.<ref name=FiveYears>Medair. [http://www.medair.org/nc/en/infochanel/news/detail/article/medair_the_first_five_years/ “Medair: The First Five Years”], 20 October 2009. Retrieved November 30, 2010.</ref>
-===The First Years: 1989-2003===
-Upon their return to Switzerland in 1989, Medair was registered as a not-for-profit organization.<ref name=FiveYears/> In 1990, members of this original group conducted an assessment for a second project in Akobo, Sudan.<ref name=Volkmar>Volkmar-Andre, Josianne, trans. Christine Terrasson-Alexander (1996). Bread and Salt: The history of Medair. p. 42.</ref> From 1991 to 1992, Medair’s Sudan program established medical care, safe water supply, food, and agricultural assistance for [[internally displaced person |displaced persons.<ref name=FiveYears/>
-By 1991, Medair was running 3 programs at the same time in Sudan, Liberia, and Iraq.<ref name=FiveYears/> Over the next decade, Medair’s operational capacity expanded until, by 2003, Medair began running as many as 9 country programs at one time in countries like D.R. Congo, Armenia, Zimbabwe, Madagascar, and Somalia.<ref>Medair. [http://www.medair.org/nc/en/infochanel/news/detail/article/the_path_that_leads_to_morning/ “The Path that Leads to Morning”]. Retrieved November 30, 2010.</ref>
-Throughout 1994 and 1995, Medair underwent major restructuring and became independent of its three founding organizations.<ref name=Volkmar/> Medair continues to partner with MAF to this day,<ref>Mission Aviation Fellowship [http://www.maf-uk.org/Home/Who_we_help/5.id “Who we help”]. Retrieved November 28, 2010.</ref> since many of Medair’s activities require traveling to hard-to-reach places.<ref>EU-CORD. [http://www.eu-cord.org/documents/EU-Cord2009Review.pdf “Annual Report 2009”], p.6 </ref> The independent Medair formed with an International Board of Trustees and an Executive Committee to assist the CEO.<ref name=Volkmar/> In 2003, Erik Volkmar, who had been with the organization since its inception, stepped down after 15 years as CEO.<ref name=Forged>Medair. [http://www.medair.org/nc/en/infochanel/news/detail/article/forged_in_the_fire/ “Forged in the Fire”]. Retrieved January 30, 2011.  </ref>
-===New Leadership: 2004-present===
-In 2004, [[Randall Zindler]], a graduate of [[Lancaster University Management School |Lancaster University’s MBA program]], became CEO.<ref>Medair. [http://www.medair.org/en/who-we-are/medairs-leadership/ “Medair’s Leadership”]. Retrieved December 3, 2010.</ref> Zindler had held a number of corporate positions with companies like Credit Suisse and Swissair before becoming CEO of Medair.<ref>Morrison, James. [http://www.independent.co.uk/student/postgraduate/mbas-guide/change-for-the-better-escape-the-rat-race-and-work-with-charities-1665872.html “Change for the better: Escape the rat race and work with charities”], [[The Independent]], 9 April 2009. Retrieved December 15, 2010.</ref>
-In his first year as CEO, Zindler mobilized Medair’s response to the [[Tsunami 2004 |Asian tsunami]].<ref>Lancaster University Management School. [http://www.lums.lancs.ac.uk/news/5043/timeszindler/ “The Times: ‘Study provides tools for relief’”], [http://www.lums.lancs.ac.uk/news/ LUMS News], 28 February 2005. Retrieved December 15, 2010.</ref> Over the following few years, Medair developed a long-term vision and, following a major organizational review, clarified its identity as: “we bring life-saving relief and rehabilitation in disasters, conflict areas, and other crises by working alongside the most vulnerable.”<ref name=Forged/>
-In 2010, Randall Zindler began a transitional plan for his departure from Medair, leaving officially in January 2011. Jim Ingram, Medair's Finance Director, was appointed interim CEO by the Board of Trustees, while a comprehensive search continued for Medair's next CEO.<ref>Medair. [http://www.medair.org/nc/en/infochanel/news/detail/article/randall_zindler_departs_medair_jim_ingram_appointed_interim_ceo/ “Randall Zindler departs Medair; Jim Ingram appointed interim CEO”]. Retrieved February 2, 2011.</ref>
-==Organizational Structure==
-Medair’s  international Board of Trustees governs the Medair organization. Medair’s Board is appointed or elected by members of the Medair Association. The CEO is responsible for the management of Medair, supported by an executive leadership team.
-===Offices===
-Medair’s operational headquarters is located in Ecublens, Switzerland.  Medair has 5 affiliate offices in Germany, the USA, France, the U.K., the Netherlands.  Each affiliate office has its own Board of Trustees.<ref>Medair. [http://issuu.com/medair/docs/annual_report_2009?mode=embed&viewMode=presentation&layout=http%3A%2F%2Fskin.issuu.com%2Fv%2Fcolor%2Flayout.xml&backgroundColor=FFFFFF&showFlipBtn=true Annual Report 2009], p.54. Retrieved December 15, 2010</ref> Medair’s affiliate offices provide communication, fundraising, and recruitment support for Medair; they do not carry out or coordinate relief programs themselves. Medair headquarters establishes bases of operation in the countries where it provides relief work.
-===Field Staff===
-According to its website, Medair recruits experienced and new relief workers with expertise in project management, health services, nutrition, water, human resources, logistics, and construction.<ref name=WorkWith>Medair. [http://www.medair.org/en/work-with-us/  “Work with us”]. Retrieved November 28, 2010.</ref> Employees are comprised of both internationally recruited staff (IRS) and nationally recruited staff (NRS). Medair employs IRS who are committed Christians and experienced professionals.<ref name=WorkWith/>
-In an interview with [[The Guardian]], Claire Skinner, a manager of Medair’s food aid project in Afghanistan, spoke about her experiences working for Medair. She acknowledged a range of challenges, from the isolation to the logistics of bringing in tools and supplies by donkey, but she is quoted as saying, “I love the rugged terrain and knowing we are helping some of the poorest communities in the country.”<ref>King, Mark. [http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2010/jul/31/working-overseas-dangerous-jobs “Working overseas-just how dangerous can it be?”], [[The Guardian]], 31 July 2010. Retrieved November 15, 2010.</ref>
-Prospective Medair staff participate in a Relief and Rehabiliation Orientation Course (ROC). This eight-day course takes place three times a year and aims to evaluate and train participants before they go to the field.<ref>Medair. [http://www.medair.org/en/work-with-us/opportunities/roc-course/ “The Relief and Rehabilitation Orientation Course (ROC)”]. Retrieved December 3, 2010.</ref>
-==Funding==
-Funding for Medair programs come from a combination of sources. The majority (67 percent in 2009)<ref name=ARFunds>Medair. [http://issuu.com/medair/docs/annual_report_2009?mode=embed&viewMode=presentation&layout=http%3A%2F%2Fskin.issuu.com%2Fv%2Fcolor%2Flayout.xml&backgroundColor=FFFFFF&showFlipBtn=true Annual Report 2009], p.47. Retrieved December 15, 2010</ref>comes from governmental support such as [[ECHO (European Commission) |ECHO]], [[United States Agency for International Development |USAID]], the [[Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation |SDC]], [[Swiss Solidarity]], and [[United Nations]] funding, such as [[UNICEF]].<ref>Medair. [http://www.medair.org/en/who-we-are/funding-corporate-partners/ “Funding & Corporate Partners 2010”]. Retrieved December 10, 2010.</ref> The remainder comes from private donors, foundations, NGO partnerships, and gifts-in-kind.  In 2009, Medair spent 87 percent of  its global consolidated funds on humanitarian aid.<ref name=ARFunds/>
-==Activities==
-Medair responds to crises with emergency relief and rehabilitation programs that focus on: health services; water, sanitation, and hygiene promotion (WASH); and shelter and infrastructure.<ref>Medair. [http://www.medair.org/en/what-we-do/ “What we do”]. Retrieved December 9, 2010.</ref>
-===Emergency Relief===
-Medair’s stated goal with emergency relief is to mobilize swiftly in response to natural disasters, conflicts, and crises.<ref>Medair. [http://www.medair.org/en/what-we-do/core-competencies/emergency-relief/ “Emergency Relief”]. Retrieved December 9, 2010.</ref> For example, after the [[2004 Asian tsunami]], staff were operational in the district of [[Ampara]], the hardest hit area of Sri Lanka, within five days.<ref name=Lee>Lee, Andrew C K (2005). [http://www.humanitarianinfo.org/srilanka/catalogue/Files/Info%20Centre/TEC/TEC003_Medair_srilanka_evalution_report_2005_3.pdf  “Real Time Evaluation of Medair’s ‘Tsunami Emergency Response’ Programme in Sri Lanka”], p. 8. Retrieved November 20, 2010.</ref> After a rapid needs assessment, Medair established that the priorities were water, sanitation, food, and shelter.<ref name=Lee/> Working with Bushproof, a company specializing in water technologies for difficult environments, Medair secured emergency drinking water supplies for people living in displacement camps.<ref>Bushproof. [http://bushproof.biosandfilter.org/index.php?id=67 “Rapid drinking water supply for tsunami victims using jetting”], (2005). Retrieved November 26, 2010.</ref>
-Over the next year, Medair’s Sri Lanka projects included shelter construction, restoring the livelihoods of the fishing community through the distribution of boats and nets, and improving public health through latrine construction, well cleaning, and hygiene education.<ref name=Lee/>
-===Rehabilitation===
-Medair runs rehabilitation programs in communities recovering from crises to help provide essential services, boost local capacity, and prevent further crises.<ref>Medair. [http://www.medair.org/en/what-we-do/core-competencies/rehabilitation/ “Rehabilitation”]. Retrieved December 9, 2010.</ref> These operations often focus on improving the capacity of the community to meet its own needs, with Medair providing strategic coaching, planning, organizing, and financial support.<ref>Medair. [http://issuu.com/medair/docs/annual_report_2009?mode=embed&viewMode=presentation&layout=http%3A%2F%2Fskin.issuu.com%2Fv%2Fcolor%2Flayout.xml&backgroundColor=FFFFFF&showFlipBtn=true “Annual Report 2009”], p.11. Retrieved December 15, 2010. </ref>
-Medair’s health services programs in Southern Sudan have been noted for their role in building local capacity.<ref name=SSMJ>SSMJ. [http://www.southernsudanmedicaljournal.com/archive/august-2010/profiles-of-health-related-organisations-working-in-south-sudan-medair-and-merlin.html “Profiles of health-related organizations working in South Sudan: Medair and Merlin”], [http://www.southernsudanmedicaljournal.com/ Southern Sudan Medical Journal], Vol. 3 Iss. 3, August 2010. Retrieved November 20, 2010.</ref> Working with local institutions and traditional authorities, Medair invests in the education and training of community health workers and traditional birth attendants.<ref name=Mande>Mande, John. [http://www.odihpn.org/report.asp?id=2343 “Balancing principles and needs: capacity-building in southern Sudan”], [http://www.odihpn.org/search_results.asp?searchText=Humanitarian+Exchange+Magazine Humanitarian Exchange Magazine], Iss. 9, September 2009. Retrieved November 21, 2010.</ref> Providing supports and resources to the State Ministry of Health has enabled primary health care services to be brought to communities that formerly lacked even the most basic health care. Numerous clinics and health centres are now staffed with knowledgeable health care providers responding to disease outbreaks, nutritional emergencies, obstetric needs, and routine out-patient care.<ref name=SSMJ/> Sudanese doctors have participated directly in WASH programs.<ref name=Mande/>
-===Health Services===
-Medair’s health services focus on responding to the greatest unmet medical needs, from the establishment or support of health clinics to nutrition programs and vaccination campaigns.<ref>Medair. [http://www.medair.org/en/what-we-do/sectors-of-expertise/health-services/ “Health Services”]. Retrieved December 9, 2010.</ref> For example, in the Ragh district of Badakhshan province in northeast Afghanistan, a 1999-2002 study published in [[The Lancet |Lancet]] concluded that the region had the highest rates of maternal mortality ever recorded (6,507 per 100,000).<ref>Bartlett LA, Mawji S, Whitehead S, Crouse C, Dalil S, Ionete D, Salama P [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15752530 “Where giving birth is a forecast of death: maternal mortality in four districts of Afghanistan, 1999-2002”], [[The Lancet]], 2005 Mar 5-11;365(9462):864-70. Retrieved November 21, 2010.</ref>
-In 2003, Medair helped develop the first emergency obstetric care facility in the area.<ref name=Hill>Hill, Jacqueline C. [http://www.onlinetog.org/cgi/reprint/7/4/267 “Dying to give birth: obstructed labour in the Hindu Kush”], [[http://www.onlinetog.org/ The Obstetrician & Gynaecologist]], 2005; 7: 267-270. Retrieved November 21, 2010.</ref> At that time, there were hardly any health clinics there, but by 2009, Medair had supported the establishment of 7 health facilities and 55 health posts.<ref>Medair. [http://issuu.com/medair/docs/annual_report_2009?mode=embed&viewMode=presentation&layout=http%3A%2F%2Fskin.issuu.com%2Fv%2Fcolor%2Flayout.xml&backgroundColor=FFFFFF&showFlipBtn=true “Annual Report 2009”], p.22. Retrieved December 15, 2010.</ref> Medair also ran a safe motherhood program that focused on community midwifery training.<ref name=Hill/>
-===Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)===
-Medair’s WASH programs focus on improving access to safe drinking water, latrine construction, and hand-washing and hygiene promotion.<ref>Medair. [http://www.medair.org/en/what-we-do/sectors-of-expertise/water-sanitation-and-hygiene-wash/ “Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH)”]. Retrieved December 9, 2010.</ref> For example, after [[Cyclone Gafilo]] struck Madagascar in 2004, Medair conducted a rapid assessment and implemented an emergency WASH project to clean and disinfect 1,400 existing wells in a little over a week.<ref>Rural Water Supply Network. [http://www.rwsn.ch/documentation/skatdocumentation.2006-01-23.3164279662/file “Mission Report on the Evaluation of Rapid Well Jetting and the Canzee Handpump”]. Retrieved November 24, 2010.</ref> The initially skeptical local residents quickly became impressed by Medair’s work, and started calling the Medair team, NGO “No Bla-bla.”<ref>Mol, Adriaan, Eric Fewster, Kathryn Osbom. [http://www.rwsn.ch/documentation/skatdocumentation.2006-01-23.3164279662/file “Ultra-rapid well construction: Sustainability of a semi-household level, post-emergency intervention”], 31st WEDC International Conference, Kampala, Uganda, 2005. Retrieved November 24, 2010.</ref> These projects included significant beneficiary participation, with local residents assisting in all aspects. Medair also trained local residents in well and latrine construction and maintenance.<ref>Medair. Annual Review 2006. p. 15.</ref>
-===Shelter and Infrastructure===
-Medair lists its shelter and infrastructure projects as: the provision of safe, permanent and semi-permanent shelters, training on construction techniques, and building clinics, roads, and bridges.<ref>Medair. [http://www.medair.org/en/what-we-do/sectors-of-expertise/shelter-infrastructure/ “Shelter & Infrastructure”]. Retrieved December 9, 2010.</ref> In 2010, after the [[Haiti earthquake]], Medair provided transitional shelters to people without housing in [[Jacmel]] and the surrounding area.<ref>Leeder, Jessica. [http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/project-jacmel/haiti-turns-to-housing-the-homeless/article1492056/ “Haiti turns to housing the homeless”], [[The Globe and Mail]], 5 March 2010. Retrieved November 20, 2010.</ref> The transitional shelters are designed to be built into permanent homes in the future. On Friday, November 5th, Emma Le Beau of Medair spoke on CTV News about the preparations for [[Hurricane Tomas (2010)]]. She explained that these transitional shelters had housed 8,500 people so far.<ref>CTV News Channel. [http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/TopStories/20101105/tomas-haiti-tropical-weather-101105/ “Hurricane Tomas brings more misery: Emma Le Beau, Medair”], 5 November 2010. Retrieved November 20, 2010.</ref> In January 2011, Medair reported that 11,622 people had now been housed and that they aim to build 1,640 more shelter by July 2011.<ref>Medair. [http://www.medair.org/nc/en/infochanel/news/detail/article/one_year_later_11622_haitians_safely_housed/ “One Year Later: 11,622 Haitians Safely Housed”], 26 November 2010. Retrieved December 9, 2010.</ref>
-==Other Notable Projects==
-===Rwanda===
-After the [[Rwandan genocide]] in 1994, Medair provided emergency relief to the region of [[Bugesera]], which had lost 80 percent of its population to the [[genocide]].<ref>Medair. [http://issuu.com/medair/docs/annual_report_2009?mode=embed&viewMode=presentation&layout=http%3A%2F%2Fskin.issuu.com%2Fv%2Fcolor%2Flayout.xml&backgroundColor=FFFFFF&showFlipBtn=true “Annual Report 2009”], p.8. Retrieved December 15, 2010.</ref> Medair worked to get medical centers running again and provided reconciliation seminars.<ref name=Volkmar/> Medair brought in psychiatrists to provide trauma counseling for both [[Hutu |Hutus]] and [[Tutsi |Tutsis]].<ref name=Lloyd>Lloyd, Rhiannon. [http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/northwest/sites/faith/pages/rhiannon_lloyd.shtml “Hope and reconciliation”], [http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/northwestwales/hi/ Northwest Wales], 22 April 2008.  Retrieved November 21, 2010.</ref> Workshops brought together mixed ethnic groups to share their stories.<ref name=Lloyd/>
-===Pakistan===
-After a massive [[2005 Kashmir earthquake |earthquake in Pakistan in 2005]], Medair teams focused on distributing shelter kits, as winter was approaching.<ref>Medair. [http://issuu.com/medair/docs/annual_report_2009?mode=embed&viewMode=presentation&layout=http%3A%2F%2Fskin.issuu.com%2Fv%2Fcolor%2Flayout.xml&backgroundColor=FFFFFF&showFlipBtn=true “Annual Report 2009”], p.9. Retrieved December 15, 2010.</ref> Once families had completed the construction of their semi-permanent homes, they received a wood stove, mattresses, blankets, and hygienic supplies.<ref>Mission East. [http://www.miseast.org/sw4188.asp “Mission East supports Medair in Pakistan”], 23 December 2005. Retrieved November 21, 2010.</ref> Medair’s rehabilitation program included livestock and seed distribution, and reconstruction work in a remote mountainous region.<ref>Medair. [http://issuu.com/medair/docs/annual_report_2009?mode=embed&viewMode=presentation&layout=http%3A%2F%2Fskin.issuu.com%2Fv%2Fcolor%2Flayout.xml&backgroundColor=FFFFFF&showFlipBtn=true “Annual Report 2009”], p.9. Retrieved December 15, 2010.</ref>
-===Uganda===
-Medair spent over a decade in Uganda, from 1999 to 2010, making it one of Medair’s longest running programs.<ref>Medair. [http://www.medair.org/nc/en/infochanel/news/detail/article/medair_closes_uganda_programme/ “Medair Closes Uganda Programme”], 2 July 2010. Retrieved December 15, 2010.</ref> During this time, the [[Lord’s Resistance Army]] (LRA) terrorized the majority of northern Uganda. Medair worked with some of the most isolated populations living in camps for [[internally displaced person |internally displaced persons]] (IDPs) at the height of the crisis.<ref>FEWS NET. [http://www.foodnet.cgiar.org/scrip/docs&databases/ifpristudies_ug_nonscrip/pdfs/FEWSNET/Newsletter_Apr_03.pdf “FEWS NET Newsletter”], No. 4, 11 April 2003. Retrieved November 24, 2010.</ref> Later, Medair helped these people resettle into their villages of origin.<ref>Medair. [http://issuu.com/medair/docs/annual_report_2009?mode=embed&viewMode=presentation&layout=http%3A%2F%2Fskin.issuu.com%2Fv%2Fcolor%2Flayout.xml&backgroundColor=FFFFFF&showFlipBtn=true “Annual Report 2009”], pp. 30-31. Retrieved December 15, 2010.</ref>
-===Southern Sudan===
-In February 2010, Medair made headlines for a study conducted with partner NGO, [[Save the Children]], which revealed high rates of malnutrition in Akobo, Southern Sudan.<ref>AFRO. [http://www.afro.com/sections/news/national/story.htm?storyid=880 “Sudan Suffering From Severe Famine”], 17 April, 2009. Retrieved November 24, 2010. </ref> With a global acute malnutrition (GAM) level of 45.7 percent and a severe acute malnutrition (SAM) level of 15.5 percent, Akobo’s rates were three times higher than emergency malnutrition thresholds.<ref>United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. [http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/CJUE-86BE8L?OpenDocument “Sudan: Unsettled prospects for Jonglei State”], [[ReliefWeb]], 11 June 2010. Retrieved November 24, 2010.</ref> Both organizations responded quickly with a therapeutic feeding program.<ref>Manuel-Logan, Ruth. [http://politic365.com/2010/04/16/sudan-is-the-hungriest-place-on-earth-children-are-starving/ “Sudan is the ‘Hungriest Place on Earth,’ Children Are Starving”], [http://politic365.com/ Politic365], 16 April 2010. Retrieved November 24, 2010.</ref>
-==Affiliations, Accreditations, Partnerships==
-In 2001, Medair became the first European NGO to obtain [[ISO 9001]]:2000 worldwide certification.<ref>Verboom, David. [http://www.iso.org/iso/ims_2002-5_medair.pdf “Medair believed to be first humanitarian aid organization worldwide to achieve ISO 9001:2000”], [http://www.iso.org/iso/newsandmedia/magazines/ims_2009.htm ISO Management Systems], September-October 2002. Retrieved December 10, 2010.</ref> [[ISO]] is a family of international quality management standards and guidelines, normally applied to industry. Medair explains that ISO certification represents Medair’s aim to be accountable to beneficiaries for the quality of goods and services provided in the same way industry is accountable to consumers.<ref>Verboom, David. [http://www.iso.org/iso/ims_2002-5_medair2.pdf “Can ISO 9001:2000 aid the humanitarian aid sector”], [http://www.iso.org/iso/newsandmedia/magazines/ims_2009.htm ISO Management Systems], September-October 2002. Retrieved December 10, 2010.</ref>
-Beneficiary accountability is an important tenet to Medair’s operations. Medair was the first member of the [[Humanitarian Accountability Partnership International]] (HAP-I).<ref>Service, A, G. Service. [http://www.hapinternational.org/pool/files/medair-sri-lanka-pilot-crm-july-2005.pdf “Medair Sri-Lanka Programme: Pilot Complaints Handling Mechanism”], July 2005. Retrieved November 10, 2010.</ref> Other members include [[CARE International]], [[Oxfam]], [[World Vision]], and [[Save the Children]].<ref>Humanitarian Accountability Partnership. [http://www.hapinternational.org/members.aspx “Current Members”]. Retrieved November 8, 2010.</ref>
-In 2006, the Humanitarian Exchange Magazine published an assessment of beneficiary accountability in humanitarian aid. In the report, many relief organizations are examined for their approaches to implementing beneficiary accountability.<ref name=Lawday>Lawday, Andrew. [http://www.odihpn.org/report.asp?id=2857 “Accountability: a report card”], [http://www.odihpn.org/search_results.asp?searchText=Humanitarian+Exchange+Magazine Humanitarian Exchange Magazine], Issue 36, December 2006. Retrieved November 10, 2010.</ref> Medair’s work in [[Darfur]] was highlighted for its use of surveys, interviews, and polls to obtain beneficiary input and feedback.  “Beneficiaries appreciated being asked their opinions, and Medair observed that this contributed to restoring their dignity,” states the report, which was commissioned by the Humanitarian Practice Network and the [[Overseas Development Institute]] (ODI).<ref name=Lawday/>
-Medair is also a member of EU-CORD, a network of European Christian humanitarian organizations that work cooperatively.<ref>EU-CORD. [http://www.eu-cord.org/members.aspx “Members”]. Retrieved December 15, 2010.</ref> Medair’s office in Switzerland has also received the ZEWO seal of approval. ZEWO is a Swiss label that identifies non-profit organizations which spend funds responsibly.<ref>ZEWO. [http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?hl=en&sl=de&u=http://www.zewo.ch/pdf/zewo_service.pdf&prev=/search%3Fq%3DZEWO%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26hs%3DaRy%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26prmd%3Divns&rurl=translate.google.ca&usg=ALkJrhjSqG43Ii9iAblu-ml_39M5YweL6A “Benefits to organizations”]. Retrieved December 8, 2010.</ref>
-Medair co-leads the southern Sudan WASH cluster with [[UNICEF]]. They coordinate [[United Nation |UN]] and [[NGO]] WASH planning throughout the 10 states.<ref>United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA. [http://www.unsudanig.org/docs/Humanitarian%20Update%20-%20Southern%20Sudan,%20Issue%20No.%205,%20September%20and%20October%202010.pdf  “Cluster Membership List Per State”], [http://www.unsudanig.org/new_gateway/ Humanitarian Update – Southern Sudan], Issue 5, September and October 2010. Retrieved January 10, 2011.</ref>
-== References ==
-{{Reflist|2}}
-{{Refbegin}}
-==Further Reading==
-[http://www.medair.org www.medair.org]
-[http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bread-History-Medair-Josiane-Volkmar-Andre/dp/B0015FRA2K Bread and Salt: The History of Medair]
-[[Category:Humanitarian aid]]
-[[Category:Humanitarian aid organizations]]
-[[Category:Non-governmental organizations based in Switzerland]]
-[[Category:Emergency organisations]]
-[[Category:Christian charities]]
-== External links ==
-* [http://www.medair.org Medair's website]
-* [http://www.youtube.com/user/Medairrelief Medair's YouTube Channel]
-* [http://www.investinaid.org/ Medair Invest in Aid Foundation]
-[[fr:Medair]]