More than 1.5 tons of emergency medicine and medical supplies – valued at $275,000 – are en route to the Philippines, with more on the way, as Direct Relief’s Emergency Team continues to monitor health-related needs following Super Typhoon Haiyan (locally known as Yolanda) – the most powerful storm to ever make landfall.
The typhoon battered the island nation early Friday morning (local time) with winds reaching nearly 200 mph – equivalent to a Category 5 hurricane. One million people are displaced and 12 million could potentially be affected, officials estimate. Electricity and communications lines have been cut off in most of the affected area – an area still reeling from a 7.2 magnitude earthquake that hit less than one month ago.
As damage assessments begin in the Philippines, Direct Relief is monitoring its partners in the storm’s projected track using Esri mapping technology (pictured above) and is maintaining contact with its network in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, where Haiyan is predicted to make landfall once again Sunday morning local time.
Direct Relief is collaborating with its partner on the ground, Asia America Initiative, to coordinate the delivery of needed medical aid, which is expected to arrive in the Philippines capital, Manila, early next week. The donation contains antibiotics, pain relievers, nutritional supplements, antifungal medications, wound dressings, and chronic disease medicines. Initially sent as part of Direct Relief’s response to the earthquake, they will be distributed where most needed.
While the storm may be over, the risks aren’t. During and after flooding, many people are at high risk of developing skin and eye infections, respiratory infections, diarrhea, malaria, and cholera. That’s why Direct Relief is currently assembling an additional donation of flood relief supplies specifically requested by AAI that will ship to the Philippines next week.
Direct Relief is also working with Team Rubicon, a disaster response veterans’ service organization, to provide their search and rescue medical response team with portable kits containing products ideal for addressing the needs of displaced flood survivors. The Emergency Team will continue to communicate with other healthcare provider partners on the ground and is prepared to respond with more aid.
Corporate Sponsors of our Typhoon Haiyan relief effort:
- Abbott and Abbott Fund
- AbbVie and AbbVie Foundation
- Actavis Pharma Inc.
- Advanced Sterilization Products
- Allergan, Inc. and the Allergan Foundation
- Amgen Foundation
- Baxter International Inc.
- BD
- Bristol-MyersSquibb
- Cera Products, Inc.
- Chattem Inc.
- CVS Corporation
- Eli Lilly
- FedEx
- Johnson & Johnson
- Merck & Co., Inc.
- Microflex
- Mylan Laboratories Inc.
- Nephron Pharmaceuticals
- Prestige Brands
- Teva Pharmaceuticals
