×

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.

Mass Evacuations Underway as Australian Wildfires Rage On

States of emergency declared as officials urge thousands to evacuate their homes.

News

Australia Wildfires

A helicopter dumps water on a fire in Victoria’s East Gippsland region on Dec. 30, 2019. Fires continued to rage in Australia into 2020, causing fatalities and compromising air quality. (Photo courtesy of the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning)
By Gordon Willcock

Major wildfires continue to rage across many parts of Australia, and the blazes have resulted in at least 20 fatalities, with 28 people unaccounted for. More than 12 million acres have burned, and states of emergency have been declared in New South Wales and Victoria, with mass evacuations underway.

Potentially catastrophic conditions are expected in the next 24 hours, as temperatures again head above 104 degrees Fahrenheit with winds expected to increase, then shift late in the day.

Smoke from the fires has been inundating southern Australia and even dirtying glaciers in New Zealand. Earlier in December, the smoke in Sydney was recorded at 11 times the hazardous limit. Wildfires often compromise air quality, raising health concerns for residents, particularly older adults, young children and those with breathing conditions or compromised immune systems.

Wildfires occur every summer in Australia, however, the current scale is unprecedented. A severe drought, which led to the hottest, driest year on record in Australia, combined with sustained high temperatures and windy conditions in December have created an exceedingly dangerous fire situation across many areas of the country, particularly New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, and South Australia – where the fires season normally peaks in February.

Direct Relief has staff based in Australia and is in communication with local authorities, including the Victorian State Emergency Service, as well as residents directly impacted by the fires. Direct Relief maintains a strategic emergency stockpile with medications and supplies that are often specifically requested during a wildfire, including a standing inventory of N95 masks, oxygen concentrators, respiratory medications like inhalers and nebulizers, and other supplies.

Though Australia is not a country that typically needs disaster assistance, the scale of the fires so early in the fire season may prompt requests for assistance, and Direct Relief is ready to respond.

Filed Under: ,

Giving is Good Medicine

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