An official website of the United States Government 
Here's how you know

Official websites use .gov

.gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS

A lock ( lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

U.S. Service Members Provide Humanitarian Aid in Djibouti

You have accessed part of a historical collection on defense.gov. Some of the information contained within may be outdated and links may not function. Please contact the DOD Webmaster with any questions.

Members of Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa and Camp Lemonnier helped mitigate the likelihood of disease transmission at a local youth center here Aug 22.

Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Samantha Ward, center, assigned to the Camp Lemonnier Emergency Medical Facility, and Army Maj. Donald Dais, 443rd Civil Affairs Battalion Functional Specialty Team Environmental Health officer in charge, test water samples.
Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Samantha Ward, center, assigned to the Camp Lemonnier Emergency Medical Facility, and Army Maj. Donald Dais, 443rd Civil Affairs Battalion Functional Specialty Team Environmental Health officer in charge, test water samples at Caritas Djibouti, a mission providing humanitarian aid and education to Djiboutian children living on the streets, in Djibouti City, Djibouti, Aug. 23, 2017. The team checked for chlorine levels and retrieved samples to test for bacteria, in addition to conducting a food handling and sanitation tutorial. Air National Guard photo by Air Force Tech. Sgt. Andria Allmond
Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Samantha Ward, center, assigned to the Camp Lemonnier Emergency Medical Facility, and Army Maj. Donald Dais, 443rd Civil Affairs Battalion Functional Specialty Team Environmental Health officer in charge, test water samples.
Water Test
Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Samantha Ward, center, assigned to the Camp Lemonnier Emergency Medical Facility, and Army Maj. Donald Dais, 443rd Civil Affairs Battalion Functional Specialty Team Environmental Health officer in charge, test water samples at Caritas Djibouti, a mission providing humanitarian aid and education to Djiboutian children living on the streets, in Djibouti City, Djibouti, Aug. 23, 2017. The team checked for chlorine levels and retrieved samples to test for bacteria, in addition to conducting a food handling and sanitation tutorial. Air National Guard photo by Air Force Tech. Sgt. Andria Allmond
Photo By: Tech. Sgt. Andria Allmond
VIRIN: 170823-Z-SO401-036

Led by Army Maj. Donald Dais, 443rd Civil Affairs Battalion Functional Specialty Team Environmental Health officer in charge, the unit conducted food-handler training, environmental health assessments, as well as tested multiple water sources for chlorine and bacteria levels at Caritas Djibouti -- a mission providing humanitarian aid and education mostly to Djiboutian children living on the streets.

“The [Camp Lemonnier] chaplains had asked me to go to Caritas with them to do an assessment the last time they went,” Dais said.

There, he identified some improvements that could be made to areas such as food-handling methods and sanitation, and created and taught a tailored class to educate and inform the Caritas volunteers in an effort to intercept the onset and proliferation of disease.

Health Appraisals

Dais and his team also conducted water purity testing and evaluated the sleeping conditions as part of the health appraisal.

“We don’t have a specialist here that can do what [the U.S military] can do to check our water,” said Alain Djeudi, a Caritas kitchen and food service volunteer. “We must be sure that there are no diseases here; we must keep everybody healthy.”

Alain Djeudi, a Caritas kitchen and food service volunteer, talks with Army Maj. Donald Dais, 443rd Civil Affairs Battalion.
Far right, Alain Djeudi, a Caritas kitchen and food service volunteer, talks with Army Maj. Donald Dais, 443rd Civil Affairs Battalion Functional Specialty Team Environmental Health officer in charge, at Caritas Djibouti, a mission providing humanitarian aid and education to Djiboutian children living on the streets, in Djibouti City, Djibouti, Aug 23, 2017. Dais led a team to educate and inform volunteers at the mission regarding safe food handling and sanitation. Air National Guard photo by Air Force Tech. Sgt. Andria Allmond
Alain Djeudi, a Caritas kitchen and food service volunteer, talks with Army Maj. Donald Dais, 443rd Civil Affairs Battalion.
Brush Teeth
Far right, Alain Djeudi, a Caritas kitchen and food service volunteer, talks with Army Maj. Donald Dais, 443rd Civil Affairs Battalion Functional Specialty Team Environmental Health officer in charge, at Caritas Djibouti, a mission providing humanitarian aid and education to Djiboutian children living on the streets, in Djibouti City, Djibouti, Aug 23, 2017. Dais led a team to educate and inform volunteers at the mission regarding safe food handling and sanitation. Air National Guard photo by Air Force Tech. Sgt. Andria Allmond
Photo By: Air Force Tech. Sgt. Andria Allmond
VIRIN: 170823-Z-SO401-007

Djeudi said that many of the children that come to Caritas Djibouti are ill, refugees from areas like Somalia and Ethiopia. Often times, they arrive at the mission with both wounds and illnesses. This creates a scenario in which Caritas attempts to not only treat the acute affliction, but also halt the spread of infectious diseases from spreading to other children and eventually progressing into the local community.

Therefore, Dais’s disease prevention program has the potential to positively affect the entire region, helping shape the environment while maintaining freedom of movement in the joint operating area of East Africa.

Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Samantha Ward, assigned to the Camp Lemonnier Emergency Medical Facility, assisted Dias during the assessment.

“It’s important that we realize that what we as U.S. citizens consider the correct way isn’t always the best way for the people of other regions in the world,” Ward said. “What we’re here to do is see what can be done to assist them in implementing what works best in this environment.”

Dias echoed Ward’s sentiments, noting the dual role they played in the Caritas visit.

“We are here to conduct ourselves as not only professionals in the field of public health and disease prevention, but we are also serving as ambassadors,” he said. “In that role, we are committed to doing the very best for our regional partners, while remaining mindful of the host-nation culture.”

Related Stories