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Direct Relief Responds to Wildfires, Hurricanes, Everyday Needs

Direct Relief's Humanitarian Activity for the week of 07/05/2024 - 07/12/2024

News

Operational Update

Members of the Office of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) load Direct Relief Emergency Medical Backpacks and a Hurricane Preparedness Pack into a helicopter in St. Lucia, in preparation for transport to St. Vincent and the Grenadines. (Photo courtesy of OECS)

Direct Relief has delivered 490 shipments of requested medical aid to 48 U.S. states and territories and 15 countries worldwide over the past seven days, including emergency response shipments to the Caribbean for Hurricane Beryl response and several wildfires in California, including near Direct Relief’s headquarters in Santa Barbara.

The shipments contained 2.3 million defined daily doses of medication and supplies, including vitamins, rare disease therapies insulin, pain management medications, and more.

Wildfires burn across california and Hurricane aftermath

The Lake Fire burns in Los Padres National Forest (Photo courtesy of US Forest Service)

Over a dozen wildfires are currently active in California, the largest of which is the Lake Fire in Santa Barbara County, which has burned over 36,000 acres. The fires come amid a record-setting heat wave, leaving vulnerable populations, especially those who are unhoused or that suffer from respiratory illnesses, exposed to potential complications due to these multiple factors.

In addition to supporting local partners in the midst of the fires, Direct Relief set up multiple distribution points throughout Santa Barbara County to make over 1,000 3M-made N95 respirators available to the local community.

Direct Relief is in touch with the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services and local safety net clinics to assess needs. To address power outages, Direct Relief’s Power for Health program has equipped several health clinics with solar-powered resilient power systems.

Direct Relief staff distribute 3M N95 respirators to help the Santa Ynez community on July 9, 2024 as the Lake Fire, California’s largest so far this summer, burns nearby.

Direct Relief’s response to Hurricane Beryl is ongoing across the Caribbean and Texas. The storm, which was the earliest Category 5 storm on record, and which made landfall in Texas as a Category 1 hurricane, has left a path of destruction, especially on Grenada and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. About 1 million people in Texas are currently without power.

Direct Relief prepositioned Hurricane Prep Packs in Texas, which can serve one hundred people for 3 days. At least one of the packs was used by a clinic just north of Houston. Requested hygiene kits have also been sent to four Texas clinics.

Damage seen on Union Island in St. Vincent and the Grenadines after Hurricane Beryl swept through this week. (Photo courtesy of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States)

In the Caribbean, Direct Relief has sent Hurricane Prep Packs, Emergency Packs, hygiene kits, and more requested aid, including medicines, medical tents, patient beds, and oral rehydration salts, to partners in Grenada, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Jamaica. Direct Relief has allocated $250,000 from the Caribbean Resiliency Fund to further address recovery efforts.

Operational Snapshot

WORLDWIDE

Over the last week, Direct Relief shipped more than 1.7 million defined daily doses of medication outside the U.S.

Countries that received medical aid over the past week included:

  • Pakistan
  • Dominican Republic
  • India
  • Tanzania
  • Syria
  • Uganda
  • Djibouti
  • Paraguay
  • Haiti
  • Sri Lanka
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo

UNITED STATES

Direct Relief delivered 465 shipments containing 4.6 tons of medications during the past seven days to organizations, including the following:

  • Samaritans Touch Care Center, Inc, Florida
  • Morton Comprehensive Health Services, Oklahoma
  • Wesley Community Health Centers, Arizona
  • UCSD Student-Run Free Clinic Project, California
  • Santa Clara County Better Health Pharmacy, California
  • Eunice Community Health Center, Louisiana
  • The Floating Hospital, New York
  • Judeo Christian Ministries, INC., Missouri
  • Clinica Esperanza/ Hope Clinic, Rhode Island
  • Open Door Health Center, Florida

YEAR TO DATE

Since January 1, 2024, Direct Relief has delivered 12,900 shipments to 1,976 partner organizations in 54 U.S. states and territories and 79 countries.

These shipments contained 230.3 million defined daily doses of medication valued at $834.7 million (wholesale) and totaling over 3 million pounds.

IN THE NEWS

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