×

News publications and other organizations are encouraged to reuse Direct Relief-published content for free under a Creative Commons License (Attribution-Non-Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 International), given the republisher complies with the requirements identified below.

When republishing:

  • Include a byline with the reporter’s name and Direct Relief in the following format: "Author Name, Direct Relief." If attribution in that format is not possible, include the following language at the top of the story: "This story was originally published by Direct Relief."
  • If publishing online, please link to the original URL of the story.
  • Maintain any tagline at the bottom of the story.
  • With Direct Relief's permission, news publications can make changes such as localizing the content for a particular area, using a different headline, or shortening story text. To confirm edits are acceptable, please check with Direct Relief by clicking this link.
  • If new content is added to the original story — for example, a comment from a local official — a note with language to the effect of the following must be included: "Additional reporting by [reporter and organization]."
  • If republished stories are shared on social media, Direct Relief appreciates being tagged in the posts:
    • Twitter (@DirectRelief)
    • Facebook (@DirectRelief)
    • Instagram (@DirectRelief)

Republishing Images:

Unless stated otherwise, images shot by Direct Relief may be republished for non-commercial purposes with proper attribution, given the republisher complies with the requirements identified below.

  • Maintain correct caption information.
  • Credit the photographer and Direct Relief in the caption. For example: "First and Last Name / Direct Relief."
  • Do not digitally alter images.

Direct Relief often contracts with freelance photographers who usually, but not always, allow their work to be published by Direct Relief’s media partners. Contact Direct Relief for permission to use images in which Direct Relief is not credited in the caption by clicking here.

Other Requirements:

  • Do not state or imply that donations to any third-party organization support Direct Relief's work.
  • Republishers may not sell Direct Relief's content.
  • Direct Relief's work is prohibited from populating web pages designed to improve rankings on search engines or solely to gain revenue from network-based advertisements.
  • Advance permission is required to translate Direct Relief's stories into a language different from the original language of publication. To inquire, contact us here.
  • If Direct Relief requests a change to or removal of republished Direct Relief content from a site or on-air, the republisher must comply.

For any additional questions about republishing Direct Relief content, please email the team here.

Hurricane Modules at Work During National Preparedness Month

News

By Andrew MacCalla

Last month, the day after Tropical Storm Isaac swept through earthquake-ravaged Haiti, staff from St. Damien’s Children’s Hospital in Haiti deployed its Direct Relief Hurricane Preparedness Module into one of the poorest and most vulnerable areas of Haiti—the slum known as Cite-Soleil.

At the beginning of hurricane season in June, Direct Relief sent 15 hurricane preparedness modules to 10 partners in seven countries, including modules to four hospitals in Haiti. The ready-to-deploy modules contain enough medicines and supplies to treat 5,000 patients for one month in case of an emergency like Isaac. The use of the pre-positioned module is an example of preparedness efforts at work as Direct Relief recognizes National Preparedness Month.

With the supplies on hand, St. Damien’s staff was able to care for patients who were injured and sick facing extremely dire conditions. They distributed items from the modules, such as protein bars and infant nutritionals to those who were malnourished and dehydrated; and soap and oral rehydration solution in order to help prevent the spread of cholera .

According to a staff member at St. Damien’s, “the Hurricane Module provided by Direct Relief enabled us to immediately care for the sick and injured without having to wait to find and procure medical supplies. Having these modules on hand makes our job of providing direct patient care much easier.”

Medical care becomes increasingly important in the aftermath of an emergency as people face injuries from falling objects and others require care for everything from water-borne illnesses to dehydration.

With strong winds and heavy rains that caused extensive flooding, mudslides and at least two dozen deaths and many more injuries, this storm was especially devastating for the roughly 400,000 Haitians who are still living under battered and torn tents since the January 2010 earthquake.

Nearly 10,000 people were evacuated and put into government buildings during the storm. Many others had to bear the brunt of the winds and rain in extremely harsh living conditions when homes flooded and families were forced to higher ground.

Many patients turn to hospitals like St. Damien’s during emergencies, which is why it is important they are prepared.

St. Damien’s was founded in 2006 and is a 45,000 square foot, 120-bed facility with an emergency room, surgery and cancer wards, infectious and non-infectious disease wards, a dental clinic, outpatient clinic, and public health center. The staff at St. Damien’s is committed to outreach and providing care for those who are most poor and vulnerable.

St. Damien’s recently built a new hospital in Cite-Soleil called St. Mary’s that provides care for the residents of Cite-Soleil who are most prone to calamity when a hurricane or tropical storm hits. This impoverished and densely populated commune has an estimated 200,000 to 400,000 residents and is generally regarded as one of the poorest and most dangerous areas of the Western Hemisphere.

Cite-Soleil has virtually no sewers and has a poorly-maintained open canal system that serves as its sewage system, which can be a source of water-borne disease following flooding after storm events such as Isaac.

Giving is Good Medicine

You don't have to donate. That's why it's so extraordinary if you do.