Canadian Medical Assistance Teams

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CMAT Volunteer Ryan Thorburn sits outside of a displaced persons' camp housed in a stadium, Léogane, Haïti, January 2010.

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Thursday, January 12, 2012: Haïti - Two years later...
CMAT Volunteer Ryan Thorburn sits outside of a displaced persons' camp housed in a stadium, Léogane, Haïti, January 2010. CMAT volunteers provide medical aid in a field hospital in Leogane, Haiti. January 2010.	In a moment two years ago, over 300,000 people lost their lives, over 1,000,000 people were left homeless, and the path of a struggling nation was changed forever. Pa Bliye Ayiti. Never forget Haïti. Read More Read more at the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Donate now to CMAT's disaster preparedness and response fund. Back to top

Tuesday, October 25, 2011: CMAT stands down deployment after Turkish PM announces no need for international assistance.
Search and Rescue workers search for survivors after Sunday's massive earthquake in Turkey. Machinery is brought in to clear the rubble after Sunday's earthquake in Turkey.	In the immediate aftermath of Sunday's earthquake, the Turkish government and local NGOs swiftly took action, and dispatched aid material and domestic personnel to the affected region. The country has substantial experience of delivering relief after quakes and has declined international aid. Officials now say they are in urgent need of housing. Some 2,000 homes have been destroyed. The death toll from the disaster stands at 459 people, with some 1,352 others injured. The Deputy PM Besir Atalay, who is coordinating the government's response at the quake zone in Van province, said tents were being assembled and food distributed as part of a major relief and rescue operation. He said that rescue teams have reached all the villages in the earthquake affected area. Most of the districts of Van and Ercis have now reestablished electricity and phone lines back to normal, and added that all other services will soon be reestablished. Dozens of aftershocks over 5 magnitude were reported. According to media reports, residents spent the night outdoors and lit campfires, while the Turkish Red Crescent began to set up tents in a stadium and provide other supplies to Van from their logistics depots in various neighbouring provinces in the region. Others sought shelter with relatives in nearby villages. The Turkish Red Crescent and the military are playing leading roles in the provision of the emergency relief. The Turkish military assigned three cargo planes for use by AFAD to transport relief aid. The Turkish military also dispatched to the region five battalions including rescue teams. Psychosocial and social support services have been assigned through the Governor of Van. The Ministry of Health is also present in the region with ambulance planes, personnel and field hospitals, and other medical supplies. Two field hospitals in Van and two field hospitals in Ercis were erected. In light of the Turkish government's announcement, CMAT has decided to stand down a potential deployment to Turkey, and encourages donors to support the Red Cross and Red Crescent efforts in the region. Read More Canadian Red Cross Society - Turkey Earthquake Back to top

Sunday, October 23, 2011: Eastern Turkey hit by 7.2 magnitude quake
A major earthquake collapsed several buildings in eastern Turkey, trapping an unknown number citizens under debris in Van Province. (Courtesy Getty Images) Van is a city in eastern Turkey and the seat of Van Province, and is located on the eastern shore of Lake Van. A 7.2 earthquake struck the region on October 23, 2011.	Courtesy BBC News. A 7.2-magnitude earthquake has hit eastern Turkey, causing deaths and injuries as buildings collapsed. The quake hit just north-east of the city of Van, where Anatolia news agency said at least 50 people were injured. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's office said there had been damage and deaths in Van but gave no firm figure. Within one hour, two more aftershocks of magnitue 5.6 struck the same region. CMAT continues to monitor the progress through its contacts in the United Nations and other partners, and is assessing the need to deploy an assessment team to the middle eastern nation. Read More Back to top

Sunday, September 11, 2011: Japan Earthquake and Tsunami - Six Months On....
Our fantastic Japanese in-country volunteers!!! — L-R Rear: Yasushi Sato, Motoaki Ishii, Sosha Smith, Valerie Rzepka, L-R Front: Umi-San, Kana Kobori, and Seiko Watanabe. Valerie Rzepka and Seiko Watanabe present a CMAT shirt to the IDRAC Chairman to add to the display.	Six months ago, on March 11, 2011 a massive earthquake struck off the coast of northern Japan. The earthquake and tsunami that followed caused the death of at least 24,000 people and set off a nuclear crisis which was as confusing as it was frightening. Four months later, CMAT Chair Valerie Rzepka, and CMAT Volunteer Seiko Watanabe returned to Japan to retrieve CMAT equipment which will no longer be needed, and to acknowledge and thank CMAT’s Japanese in-country volunteers. Click here to read their impressions: Read More Back to top

Friday, September 09, 2011: Magnitude-6.7 quake recorded off Vancouver Island
The quake struck 119 km (73 miles) WNW of Ucluelet, British Columbia and 138 km (85 miles) WSW of Campbell River, British Columbia.	VICTORIA — A magnitude-6.7 earthquake has struck off the coast of Vancouver Island. The United States Geological Survey recorded the quake at 12:41 p.m. local time. A map on the geological survey's website puts the epicentre just off the west coast of Vancouver Island, south of Port Hardy. The quake was recorded at a depth of 80 kilometres. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre has posted an information bulletin that says no tsunami is expected. Many CMAT Members live on Vancouver Island, including two directors of the Board. More information will be posted as needed, or when it becomes available. Read More Back to top

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CMAT is a registered Canadian Charity.

Canadian Charitable Registration # 88439 3315 RR0001

CMAT prides itself on being a grassroots humanitarian relief organization. No more than 7% of what we raise (and we hope for less) goes to administration costs such as credit card or bank processing fees, website hosting, and maintaining our phone line. We are entirely volunteer run, and donor driven.

Canadian Medical Assistance Teams

150 Brant Avenue, Brantford, Ontario. N3T3H7

T. 416.305.0290 F. 866.670.0167