FRANCAISMedical Emergency Relief International - History
2000-2009
-From January 2002, United Kingdom: Merlin reorganises, increases its advocacy and starts a programme of controlled growth. It switches from recruiting volunteers to only experienced staff and focuses solely on health disasters and conflict.
-From January 2003, Iraq: Merlin negotiates an ad hoc agreement with Baghdad but has to give up going to Iraq for want of institutional funding since most of western countries refused to violate the embargo and to operate otherwise than within the United Nations’ programme, “ Oil for Food ”, implemented from December 1996 onwards. After the anti-terrorist Coalition’s offensive against Saddam Hussein’s regime in March 2003, the organisation goes in and publicly denounces the efforts made by the American high commandment to supervise all humanitarian missions. Unlike other NGOS such as Oxfam, which refuse subsidies from belligerent States, Merlin accepts a grant from the British government’s Department for International Development. Yet the deployment of the American and British troops doesn’t make the relief operations any easier. Faced with an ever increasing insecurity and the multiplication of attacks against humanitarian organisations, Merlin chooses to evacuate its expatriate staff to Jordan in September 2003. In April 2004, Merlin criticises the anti-terrorist Coalition for Geneva Convention abuses.
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