Over the past seven days, Direct Relief has delivered 168 shipments of requested medical aid to 35 U.S. states and territories and seven countries worldwide.

The shipments contained 30 million defined daily doses of medication, including insulin, antibiotics, emergency medical backpacks, family hygiene kits, trauma response supplies, and more.

One Year into Ukraine Response

Today marks the one-year mark of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Since Feb. 24, 2022, Direct Relief has delivered more than 2.4 million lbs. – over 1,200 tons – of medicine and medical supplies to Ukraine, averaging a delivery every other day for the past 350 or so days. Each item delivered was requested and approved prior to it being sent.

The medical material provided has included 235 million defined daily doses of prescription medications and therapies for a broad range of common conditions and also specialized care, such as for cancers. Huge quantities of medical supplies ranging from battlefield tourniquets and body bags to prenatal vitamins also have been furnished.

Direct Relief also has committed $30.8 million in financial support to local healthcare organizations providing care in Ukraine and others in countries, including Poland and Slovakia, that have opened their doors to Ukrainian refugees.

The full report can be accessed here.

More SHIPMENTS arrive in TURKEY

The death toll from the quakes has risen to 43,000 across Turkey and Syria, with dozens of health facilities damaged or destroyed. Direct Relief has focused on medical aid to strengthen the health system, as well as financial aid to local groups to support medical care and search and rescue efforts.

An 89-pallet shipment arrived in Adana, Turkey, containing chronic disease medications, trauma supplies, mental health therapies, oral rehydration salts, prenatal vitamins, and protective gear, which were specifically requested by Turkey’s Ministry of Health and will be used to support the country’s health system as it treats people impacted by deadly earthquakes.

Since the initial earthquake on Feb. 6, Direct Relief has shipped or has en route 108 tons of medical aid to Turkey and 20 tons to Syria. The organization has also provided $2.52 million in cash assistance to local organizations responding to medical needs in the region.

High Water Rescue Vehicle Donated

A Direct Relief-donated high-water rescue vehicle was unveiled this week by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department, which will house the vehicle for deployment. The truck can move through water up to 48 inches deep and will be a shared resource for rescues in San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties.

The purchase was made in response to increasingly frequent and intense climate-related disasters are stretching first responder agencies, especially regional search and rescue (SAR) teams. Statewide in California, approximately 7,500 certified SAR personnel serve as unpaid volunteers and purchase their own equipment and gear.

In 2021, Direct Relief also helped fund a replacement rescue vehicle for Santa Barbara County Search and Rescue and also purchased vehicles and equipment for several first responder agencies, including UTVs, and specialized rescue gear after the Montecito Debris Flow in Santa Barbara County.

OPERATIONAL SNAPSHOT

WORLDWIDE

This week, Direct Relief shipped 29.8 million defined daily doses of medication outside the U.S.

Countries that received medical aid over the past week included:

• Ukraine
• Turkey
• Pakistan
• Syria
• India
• Dominican Republic
• Sri Lanka

UNITED STATES

Direct Relief delivered 146 shipments containing 9,458 doses of medications over the past week to organizations, including the following:

• Cal OES Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, California
• Mission Arlington Medical Clinic, Texas
• MERCI Clinic, North Carolina
• The Night Ministry, Illinois
• Hannibal Free Clinic, Missouri
• Washington State Department of Health, Washington
• The Chris Atwood Foundation, Virginia
• Talbert House Health Center dba Centerpoint Health, Ohio
• Wellness Pointe, Texas

YEAR-TO-DATE (GLOBAL)

Since Jan. 1, 2023, Direct Relief has delivered 2,074 shipments to 968 healthcare providers in 51 U.S. states and territories and 43 countries.

These shipments contained 102.4 million defined daily doses of medication valued at $243.9 million (wholesale), totaling 1.1 million lbs.

In The News

• Ventura County Adds Armored Rescue Vehicle to its Fleet Thanks to Direct Relief Donation – KEYT: After major rainstorms in January of this year, Direct Relief contacted the California Office of Emergency Services to make the donation of equipment useful for rescue scenarios encountered in the local area including flooding and mudslides.
• Specialized Rescue Vehicle Rolls into Ventura County Thanks to Donation – Ventura County Star: A $350,000 rescue vehicle has arrived to fill in gaps during challenging rescue situations in Ventura County after a donation from a Santa Barbara nonprofit.
• Earthquakes Struck the Heart of the World’s Largest Refugee Population. Here’s How to Help – TIME: Direct Relief is a humanitarian medical aid group that specializes in disaster response. They are currently mobilizing medical aid and helping fund search and rescue teams in coordination with local officials.
• Bungie Raises $200,000 For Earthquake Relief In 24-Hour Charity Fundraiser – Gamers Grade: Bungie launched a fundraising campaign in partnership with Direct Relief and International Rescue Committee, encouraging players to make donations to help the victims of the massive earthquake.
• Metallica Donates $250K to Turkey/Syria Earthquake Relief – Rolling Stone: Metallica’s Non-Profit Foundation All Within My Hands has made a $250,000 donation toward relief efforts following the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. 
• Essential Medicines Arrive in Syria, Post-Earthquake- ReliefWeb: On Tuesday, 14 pallets of medical aid from Direct Relief arrived in Syria to support the medical efforts of the Syrian American Medical Society, which operates hospitals in northwestern Syria that have been inundated with patients following a deadly earthquake in the region last week.
• First Move’s Julia Chatterley Interviews Direct Relief CEO and President Thomas Tighe – CNN: One of the international organizations helping Turkey and Syria is Direct Relief, a non-profit that provides emergency medical assistance and disaster relief. Joining the show to discuss their efforts is President/CEO Thomas Tighe. 
• Santa Barbara-Based Direct Relief Sends Aid Specialist to Turkey and Syria after Deadly Earthquakes – KCBX: Santa Barbara-based non-profit Direct Relief is providing humanitarian aid to Turkey and Syria after the devastating earthquakes last week…The organization is sending millions of dollars in support for search and rescue operations, as well as ongoing shipments of medical supplies to the region.
• Earthquake in Syria and Turkey – The King’s Page: “…our very own Santa Barbara-based disaster relief organization, Direct Relief, has committed three million dollars to the cause. The funding generated by Direct Relief has been directed mainly towards AKUT, the largest search and rescue organization involved in Turkey, as well as the Syrian American Medical Society.”