For many years the Veolia Foundation has been working around the world with displaced people and refugees – whether political, economic or climate. On 13 December 2009, at Veolia's headquarters in Aubervilliers, a conference brought together leaders of the Veolia Foundation and Médecins du Monde to discuss their initiatives with committed employees.
For the past five years, Veoliaforce volunteers have been working in refugee camps around the world to provide access to clean drinking water. They regularly install the Aquaforce mobile water treatment units designed by the Veolia Foundation. In eastern Senegal, a pumping and storage system set up to treat water from the River Gambia by the Foundation should enable the villagers of Saal, affected by climate change, to access water once again. In France, the Foundation supports associations that work directly with migrants in camps in the Paris region.
The Veolia Foundation, partnering Médecins du Monde
Médecins du Monde's health monitoring for migrants in France
Médecins du Monde since 2015 has been running a health monitoring programme on three half-days a week in the various tent encampments near Paris (Porte de la Chapelle, Canal Saint Denis, Porte d'Aubervilliers, etc.). 3,500 exiled people fleeing their country live there while seeking protection under the Geneva Convention. During each session, in order to better understand their personal situation and care needs, about forty people are cared for by doctors, translators and psychologists in an equipped truck.
A collection from Veolia employees
In addition to its financial support, the Veolia Foundation will organize a collection of personal hygiene products (toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, etc.) from the Group's employees next January, which will be distributed in the form of kits by Médecins du Monde to migrants from the two camps at Porte d'Aubervilliers. Hygiene helps to restore a minimum of dignity for these families whose living conditions in the camps are very difficult.
Médecins du Monde works on 60 programmes in 40 countries, and in France on 60 programmes on the outskirts of major cities with five objectives: sexual health, risk reduction, migration (80% of our beneficiaries), emergencies and harmful environments. In France, 120 employees and 2,000 volunteers in 15 reception centres provide access to care and rights. Internationally, Médecins du Monde has 160 permanent staff and 1,600 local staff.