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Emergency Support Reaches First Responders, Communities Impacted by Extreme Weather

Direct Relief's Humanitarian Activity for the week of 07/19/2024 - 07/26/2024

News

Operational Update

Members of the Guatemalan Forest Fire Response Brigade pose with Direct Relief-donated emergency medical backpacks, designed to support first responders providing immediate care in the field. (Photo courtesy of CONRED Guatemala)
By Kim Ofilas

In the past week, Direct Relief delivered 748 shipments of requested medical aid to 48 U.S. states and territories and 15 countries worldwide. Included is support for communities in the Caribbean and Texas affected by Hurricane Beryl and medical aid for survivors of violence in Mexico.

These shipments contained 18 million defined daily doses of medication and supplies, including midwife kits, dengue support, hurricane preparedness packs, and more.

Emergency Medical Packs Bolster Guatemalan Fire Preparedness

First responders look over the contents of an emergency medical backpack. (Photo courtesy of CONRED Guatemala)

The Guatemalan Forest Fire Response Brigade BRIF/GUA received a donation of emergency medical backpacks from Direct Relief recently. The backpacks will bolster preparedness for future wildfire events, helping first responders provide emergency medical care.

Unrest In Tila, Mexico Creates Urgent Need

ChildFund, with the support of Direct Relief, provided over-the-counter medications, vitamins, hygiene products, and other necessities to support the health and well-being of displaced people in Tila, Chiapas, Mexico. (Photo courtesy of ChildFund)

Armed groups burned homes and vehicles and displaced thousands in Tila, a town in Chiapas, Mexico, on June 8, 2024, and more than half the town’s 10,000 residents were forced to leave their homes. The violence, which stems from a broader conflict over territorial control, created even more urgent needs in Tila, where 98% of the residents were already experiencing poverty.

While some displaced people have returned home, the situation remains unstable, with ongoing violence and insecurity.

Nonprofit organization ChildFund contacted Direct Relief for assistance with medical supplies, as shelters and communities lacked essential items. In response, Direct Relief provided over-the-counter medications, vitamins, hygiene products, and other necessities. Direct Relief remains committed to assisting its partners and the affected populations during this crisis.

Strengthening Resiliency After Hurricane Beryl

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 mobilized over $2.2 million in emergency medical aid for Grenada, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Jamaica. This aid includes cots, emergency medical backpacks, essential medicines and supplies, hurricane preparedness packs, hygiene kits, and shelter supplies. Additionally, Direct Relief has allocated $500,000 from the Caribbean Resilience Fund to support relief and recovery efforts in Grenada and SVG.

In Texas, Direct Relief has bolstered support to healthcare providers serving communities impacted by Hurricane Beryl, delivering over $257,300 in medical aid to 14 community health centers, clinics, and charitable pharmacies. Direct Relief also continues to offer its medical inventory to health facility partners through its ongoing Safety Net Support program.

Direct Relief’s initiatives in the Caribbean and Texas aim to strengthen the medical supply chain’s resiliency and ensure continued access to essential medicines. In the coming days and weeks, Direct Relief is prioritizing additional support in four key areas: cold chain storage, dengue prevention and treatment, distribution of personal care kits, and emergency and backup power.

YOUTH VOLUNTEERS Gather AT DIRECT RELIEF

Volunteers filled personal care kits with hygiene items at Direct Relief’s Santa Barbara

Volunteers assemble 7,000 person care kits at Direct Relief’s Santa Barbara warehouse on July 22, 2024. The kits will be sent to those impacted by Hurricane Beryl and the 2023 Maui wildfire.  The kits contain items, including shampoo, toothpaste, soap, and other essentials.

Operational Snapshot

WORLDWIDE

Over the last week, Direct Relief shipped more than 13.7 million defined daily doses of medication to countries outside the U.S. that include the following:

  • Ghana
  • Grenada
  • India
  • Madagascar
  • Mexico
  • Pakistan
  • Papua New Guinea
  • Peru
  • Somaliland
  • Sudan
  • Syria
  • Ukraine

UNITED STATES

Direct Relief delivered 748 shipments containing 1.4 million doses of medication during the past seven days to organizations, including the following:

  • St. Vincent de Paul Pharmacy – Dallas, Texas
  • Morton Comprehensive Health Services, Oklahoma
  • Health Ministries Clinic Pharmacy, Kansas
  • Port Ministries, Illinois
  • START Corporation, Louisiana
  • Clinica Esperanza/ Hope Clinic, Rhode Island
  • Church Hill Medical Mission, Tennessee
  • Triangle Area Network, Texas
  • El Proyecto Del Barrio Azusa, California
  • Flagler County Free Clinic, Florida

YEAR TO DATE

Since January 1, 2024, Direct Relief has delivered 14,300 shipments to 2,027 partner organizations in 54 US states and territories and 81 countries.

These shipments contained 259.8 million defined daily doses of medication valued at $871.0 million (wholesale) and totaled 3.4 million pounds.

In THE NEWS

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