Since the earthquake struck January 12, Direct Relief has sent more than $6 million in medical aid to our partners on the ground caring for the many injured. The scenes have been heart-rending, and Direct Relief has been supporting several partners in Haiti working around the clock to treat the injured. Key partners include: Partners in Health, which is operating a temporary facility out of the partially damaged General Hospital in Port-au-Prince; St. Damien Hospital, a full-service pediatric facility in Port-au-Prince, where patients of all ages spilled out into every square inch of the courtyard to receive care; Hôpital Albert Schweitzer, a surgical hospital in Deschapelles with orthopedic surgical capability. The hospital has been caring for a large number of people injured in the quake. Direct Relief has also been supporting Justinian University Hospital, a full-service facility in Cap-Haitien, which has received an influx of patients escaping the damage zone and seeking medical care. We’ve also partnered with MOSCTHA, a humanitarian group providing aid to Haitian refugees in the Dominican Republic. It dispatched a mobile medical van to the Haitian border to assist earthquake survivors streaming out of the damage zone.
In response of challenging logistics in Haiti, Direct Relief sent two staff members to Port-au-Prince immediately after the quake struck to manage logistics and ensure delivery of critically needed materials to our partners. On the heels of that advance team’s successes, a second team is deploying to Haiti this weekend to continue those efforts.
In addition to extraordinary support from FedEx in transportation and logistics, Direct Relief has identified and equipped groups that have chartered planes to “hand-deliver” aid. These include: J/P Haitian Relief Organization, a team of 20 doctors specializing in emergency and trauma medicine, have dispatched critically needed consignments on chartered planes, for use at Partners in Health’s emergency facility. Yayasan Bumi Sehat (YBS), an Indonesia-based healthcare organization with expertise in midwifery and obstetrics/gynecology, set off for Jacmel, Haiti, with Direct Relief materials in hand to assist the injured there. YBS responded extensively to the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, and is a trusted partner in emergency response.
Direct Relief is also developing long-term recovery plans for the earthquake response. Experience with other earthquakes (China 2008, Pakistan 2005) proves that rehabilitation and prosthetic support will be crucial in the coming months to help Haitians recover their mobility and independence after amputations and other traumatic injuries. Plans are underway to provide appropriate support.
Direct Relief has a deep commitment to help the people of Haiti recover from this devastating event; it informs all of our actions. Donors of all types, from corporations to foundations, to individuals, have been extremely generous in supporting Haiti relief. Learn more about them here.