The 6,800-pound shipment was trucked from Adana, Turkey, and transported into Syria, and contains more than 64,000 defined daily doses of requested antibiotics for infection treatment and other essential medicines.

Tuesday’s shipments are the latest to arrive in Syria, and Direct Relief currently has 22.5 tons of emergency medicines and supplies valued at $4.5M that is ready for shipment, en route or has arrived in the region. In addition to the Syrian American Medical Society, Direct Relief is also shipping medical support to the Independent Doctors’ Association and Syria Relief and Development, all of which support medical efforts in the country.
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In the week since the initial quake, Direct Relief has disbursed $1.52 million in immediate emergency grant funding to enable and sustain the emergency response operations of seven local healthcare and search and rescue groups working across Turkey and northwestern Syria.

The death toll from the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria in the early hours on February 6 has now exceeded 40,000, and the head of the United Nations relief effort on the ground, Martin Griffiths, stated publicly that this total will likely double or more.

More than 24,000 buildings have been damaged or destroyed in the affected areas, and 8,400 of these structures have collapsed. In northwestern Syria 7,400 buildings have been damaged or destroyed, including 57 hospitals and primary health facilities damaged, and 1,700 of that total have collapsed.

Major concerns include emergency medical and surgical supplies for hospitals, disease outbreaks due to numbers of displaced people without shelter and access to proper water, sanitation and hygiene facilities, and winterization needs, including for medical shelters.

After 12 years of conflict and an ongoing cholera outbreak, 4.1 million Syrians in the northwest already relied on some level of humanitarian assistance before the earthquake, with recent events overwhelming the capacity of local health facilities.

The UN estimated that almost 9 million people have been affected by the earthquake across Syria, and the Syrian American Medical Society has reported that many people are now exposed to the winter weather, lacking adequate shelter and that they are preparing for surges in communicable diseases and potentially cold-induced injuries.

“This shocking event in such an already devastated region has refocused the world’s attention on Syria, but the truth is the humanitarian situation in Syria was desperate and unsustainable even before the earthquake,” SAMS wrote in a statement on its website last week. “A series of challenges to the health sector: dwindling access, COVID-19 and a cholera outbreak across Syria all degraded a humanitarian environment, and these challenges are now exacerbated by this shocking natural disaster.”

SAMS had called on the United Nations to reopen all border crossings into northwest Syria to increase the flow of aid in response to the earthquake’s sweeping impacts. Direct Relief is supporting SAMS and other organizations primarily operational around northwestern Syria, in the catchment areas of Aleppo, Idleb, Lattakia, Hama governorates.

“In the coming weeks, Northwest Syria and those impacted in Turkey will need a level of aid unprecedented in the last few years of the conflict,” SAMS stated.

The post Essential Medicines Arrive in Syria, Post-Earthquake appeared first on Direct Relief.

The main public hospital in Cianjur, a city of 175,000, has sustained some damage and is currently at capacity due to an influx of patients. While information is still coming in from the affected region, previous experience responding to similar earthquake disasters in Indonesia and in other countries has shown that the next 48 hours will be critical for search and rescue operations and emergency medical trauma care for crush injuries and wounds.

Beyond 48 hours, the focus will shift to preventing disease outbreaks among displaced populations, reconnecting people with chronic disease medications, restoring access to primary healthcare, and targeting support to vulnerable groups such as older adults, pregnant women, and new mothers and infants.

Direct Relief’s Response

Direct Relief committed an initial $50,000 in emergency funding to support Muhammadiyah Disaster Management Center, or MDMC, the disaster response arm of Indonesia’s largest civil society organization, which currently has medical and search and rescue teams deployed to the affected areas. Direct Relief is also coordinating closely with the ASEAN Coordination Center for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management, or AHA Center, which is headquartered in Jakarta. In addition, Direct Relief is in contact with the Indonesian Ministry of Health and stands ready to support if required.

The organization has a long history of responding to regional disasters, including the South Asian earthquake and tsunami of 2004, the 2006 earthquake centered near Yogyakarta, Indonesia, and the Lombok and Sulawesi earthquakes, which rattled the region in 2018.

Direct Relief will continue to respond as additional medical needs become known.

The post Direct Relief Commits Support as Indonesia Reels from Deadly Quake appeared first on Direct Relief.

In addition, 1,123 casualties have been reported, including 364 deaths. These figures are likely to be significantly lower than the actual number, as the casualties are hard to verify.

Temporary humanitarian corridors have been agreed upon so that civilians can flee certain cities in Ukraine. However, these corridors have not come to fruition so far, as shelling has continued unabated.

In addition, the contact reported, “we are seeing huge numbers of [internally displaced persons] from Kharkiv moving to the west. They have nowhere to live and no food. We are trying to arrange shelter, food, and first aid. Kharkiv has been badly bombed; it is a disaster.”

Direct Relief’s Response

Material Aid and Funding

• Approximately 65 pallets of medical aid, including sutures, insulin syringes and other chronic disease medicines, pain relievers, prenatal vitamins and much more, are currently being built in Direct Relief’s warehouse for transport to Ukraine’s Ministry of Health.
• A 20-pallet shipment of 360 field medic backpacks, used by first responders tending to injuries and other medical problems in the field, has crossed the Ukrainian border and been received by Ukraine’s Ministry of Health.
• Another 13 pallets of medical aid from Direct Relief are in transit to a major Ukrainian NGO. The shipment included 108 field medic backpacks, personal care items for displaced people, 50 oxygen concentrators, a large-scale emergency health kit containing chronic disease medications and supplies often requested after emergencies,. The supplies will be transported to the Ukrainian border, with an estimated arrival time of Tuesday or Wednesday.
• As insulin has been identified as a critical medical need, Direct Relief is dispatching nine pallets of the cold-chain medicine, also for the Ukrainian Ministry of Health.
• Two hundred 10-liter oxygen concentrators are also scheduled to be sent to the Ministry of Health this week.
• A Ukrainian NGO and long-term Direct Relief partner that distributes medical aid to hospitals and other health facilities has been granted $100,000 in emergency funding.

Information & Analysis

• Direct Relief is employing crowd-sourced information from Premise that can be used to gather tailored health or infrastructure data related to health systems and refugee communities.
• Using data from Meta, the organization is working to address different dimensions of the crisis. CrisisReady, a collaboration between Harvard scientists and Direct Relief, is producing updates to current information and expanding an analysis of displacement to include the entire region.
• Direct Relief has established arrangements to share information with the UN, the Health Cluster, the European Commission, and the World Bank.

Operations and Administration

• A Direct Relief staff member is currently in Warsaw to meet with pivotal figures and NGOs working to respond. The staffer will also travel to Romania to meet with entities providing refugee support.
• Direct Relief is in contact with Ministries of Health throughout the region to assess needs. The organization is also coordinating support through the U.N. Health and Logistics cluster system.
• FedEx has offered to arrange a humanitarian charter to Warsaw.
• Direct Relief is exploring the possibility of establishing a regional warehouse, from which medical aid might be readily dispatched to Ukraine. The organization’s closest warehouse is currently in the Netherlands.

Issues of Concern

Over the coming weeks, Direct Relief will monitor and respond to several issues related to the Ukrainian conflict.

• Insulin and other cold-chain medications will be in critically short supply. More than 1.5 million people with diabetes have registered in Ukraine, including more than 12,000 children. Access to insulin for children and adults will quickly become a critical issue. Direct Relief is coordinating with the Ukrainian Diabetes Federation, the International Diabetes Federation, and Life for a Child to address insulin and supply needs.
• Even before the conflict, Ukraine was experiencing a chronic shortage of medical-grade oxygen. Now, the production and delivery of oxygen to hospitals is being significantly disrupted, affecting hospital care around the country. The WHO estimates that demand for oxygen will increase by 20 to 25% due to the conflict.
• Covid-19 was already spiking at the time of the invasion. Now, with displaced communities living in close proximity, a lack of testing, and a full vaccination rate of only approximately 36% among Ukrainians, Covid-19 is likely to spread rapidly and go undetected. In the face of more urgent threats, the disease is unlikely to be a high priority. A lack of medical-grade oxygen will only compound the problem.
• Infectious diseases are likely to become an urgent issue. Ukraine has the second-highest rates of HIV/AIDS in the region, and drug-resistant tuberculosis is a significant problem. In addition, Ukraine has been fighting a polio outbreak since late 2021. The disruption in access to medications and health services, combined with the displacement of communities, will exacerbate these and other public health issues.
• Pregnant and new mothers, and their children, will be exceedingly vulnerable as the fighting continues. Access to maternal and child health care is disrupted, and there will be shortages of food and other essential supplies. Damage to gas and power infrastructure, with external temperatures hovering around zero, are also particularly concerning for these populations.

Dan Hovey and Andrew Schroeder contributed reporting to this update.

The post For Ukraine’s Crisis, A Large-Scale Response appeared first on Direct Relief.

Although India has reported more than 400,000 deaths and more than 30 million cases, the real numbers are likely higher – with estimates well over a million deaths and over 500 million infections. Cases ballooned across the major urban areas, spread outwards from the north to the south and east of India and from urban centers to rural communities.

Hospitals ran out of bed spaces, particularly in urban communities in the north of India. Intensive care units were filled and had to turn away severely ill patients. Critically needed oxygen supplies were either entirely or intermittently unavailable in many facilities. Covid-19 medications and personal protective equipment (PPE) to prevent frontline health workers were in short supply. Families were going door-to-door to hospitals, trying to find a bed for their loved ones.

It wasn’t India’s first brush with Covid-19. However, India’s first wave of the virus was largely controlled, peaking in mid-September of 2020. Successful response measures by the Indian government led to a gradual decline in case numbers. But then, in mid-February 2021, a second wave began, and case numbers started to track upwards quickly.

As case numbers exploded in April, Direct Relief scaled its response to the crisis.

Response and Impact

With the help of donors and working closely with pharmaceutical manufacturing and logistics companies, Direct Relief sent large volumes of urgently needed oxygen concentrators, Covid-19 medications, and PPE to healthcare organizations across India. Direct Relief also provided grant funding to support the rapid response of Indian groups sourcing and delivering oxygen devices.

Since April 2021, Direct Relief delivered $437 million worth of aid to India – more than 24 million defined daily doses of medicine and a total of 700 tons worth of medical materials. Direct Relief has delivered this support to hospitals, local health departments, state ministries of health across India, and other health care organizations.

Direct Relief transported the 700 tons with the support of FedEx, which provided three full 777 aircraft to deliver the bulk of the supplies. Direct Relief also mobilized multiple commercial deliveries of oxygen, medicines, PPE, and other medical aid to India.

Oxygen

Throughout the peak of the crisis, the item requested most often has been oxygen. Since April, Direct Relief has delivered 6,668 oxygen concentration units and contributed grant funds as part of a coalition of organizations supporting the “Oxygen Bridge to India.” Altogether, the coalition procured and delivered 20,000 oxygen concentrators. Direct Relief also funded the construction of a permanent oxygen generation plant to provide ongoing medical-grade oxygen to its long-term partner Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital in Pune.

Covid-19 Medications

Hospitals working in hotspots across India also requested Covid-19 and ancillary medications and supplies, including antibiotics, vasopressors, sedatives, immune suppressants, and albuterol inhalers. With the support of donors and pharmaceutical manufacturers, Direct Relief was able to deliver these potentially lifesaving drugs to hospitals treating severe cases of Covid-19.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Worldwide, health workers have been at the frontline of the Covid-19 crisis. They are at the highest risk of infection and potentially high viral load infections. PPE is the primary way to protect them as they continue providing lifesaving care without becoming patients themselves. Since April, Direct Relief has delivered more than 7 million units of PPE to India. These included masks, gowns, gloves, goggles, and face shields. The most needed and requested PPE item remains masks, and Direct Relief has supplied nearly 6 million units.

Looking to the Future

Direct Relief continues to work with health care organizations across India to identify and match needs with donations of medicines and supplies. These organizations are still treating Covid-19 patients, even as they attempt to recover from this crisis and prepare for a possible third wave.

In addition to this ongoing medical support, Direct Relief provides grant funds to support the recovery process and bolster health care facilities as they continue to offer primary and specialist health services to communities hit hard by Covid-19. Given the critical need and shortage of oxygen during the crisis, grant funds are helping ensure sustainable oxygen supplies – even if local case numbers rise and put pressure back on their health facilities.

The best way to fight Covid-19 is to vaccinate populations against it. Direct Relief will direct additional grant funding towards vaccination campaigns – including the logistics, materials, and staffing that go along with getting people vaccinated.

In addition, the organization will continue to support vulnerable populations and the health care services they require, including maternal and child health care, pediatric services, and care for chronic illnesses such as hemophilia. These vulnerable populations aren’t just directly at risk from Covid-19. They’re also vulnerable to long-term lockdowns, shortage of food and other supplies, and interrupted access to health care and medication.

To date, Direct Relief has supported locally-run organizations with more than $3.1 million in cash grants, allowing them to respond to and recover from the crisis – and maintain normal health care activities aimed at vulnerable populations. Grantees include ACT GRANTS India, Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) India, Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital, and the Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences.

These grants helped deliver thousands of oxygen concentrators, fund village-level Covid-19 clinics, distribute masks, and much more.

The post Responding to India’s Covid-19 Crisis appeared first on Direct Relief.

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.

The post Mass Evacuations Underway as Australian Wildfires Rage On appeared first on Direct Relief.

On Sept. 28, 2018, a 7.5-magnitude earthquake brought buildings crashing down in the City of Palu, and the temblor produced a powerful 10-foot near-shore tsunami that destroyed infrastructure and buildings, and liquefied large swaths of soil under buildings and houses. More than 4,000 people were killed as a result, and more than 200,000 displaced.

Earlier in the year, beginning on July 29, a series of earthquakes and aftershocks struck Lombok, an island to the immediate east of Bali. The earthquakes left hundreds dead and more than 400,000 homeless. In Northern Lombok, 80 percent of buildings were either severely damaged or totally destroyed.

Since then, some have or will receive funding from the government to rebuild, yet those displaced from the liquefaction areas lost both their homes and their land, as these areas have been designated red zones that are too dangerous to live on.

For these families, they must wait for the allocation of new land and the building of new housing. In addition to shortages of permanent housing, health services were also interrupted by the disaster.

Repairing and Rebuilding the Health System

Direct Relief is working alongside partners from the grass-roots level through to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, known as ASEAN, at the regional level to rebuild and strengthen health infrastructure and access to health care in areas that were impacted by last year’s disasters.

Direct Relief is working with long-term partner, the Muhammadiyah Disaster Management Center, or MDMC, to rebuild and expand a Muhammadiyah-run hospital, Siti Fadilah. When complete, the hospital will increase both access to medical care and expand the range of medical services available to vulnerable communities living in and around Palu.

Construction on the project has already begun and it is expected to be completed in 2019. Direct Relief is also working in partnership with MDMC, the City of Palu, Sigi Regency, and Donggala Regency on a project to rebuild and strengthen eight earthquake-damaged public primary care clinics. Work on those projects has also begun.

At the regional level, Direct Relief is working with official regional partner, the ASEAN Coordinating Center for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management, known as the AHA Center, to assess how to further connect displaced families with health services.

Strengthening Care for Mothers and Babies

In Lombok, even more than a year from the earthquakes, many continue to live under tarps and tents, and access to clean water, food, and healthcare remains a challenge. These challenges are particularly acute for mothers and babies. Issues related to water and sanitation, nutrition, and access to appropriate health care, pre- and post-natal checkups, diagnostics, and birthing facilities, remain an issue for a large proportion of the earthquake affected communities.

Direct Relief has been supporting long-term partner Bumi Sehat, an organization that has run a continuous maternal and child health emergency mission on Lombok since August 2018. Bumi is headed by prominent Bali-based midwife Robin Lim and the organization has a long history of delivering maternal and child health services in austere post-disaster environments. Bumi has been running their 14-month long mission out of tent facilities set up in impacted communities.

They have reported that these tent facilities and staff quarters have been blown over multiple times by regular tropical storm strength winds and rain, and multiple smaller earthquakes have rattled the affected community in the last year, which sent people running into the streets and deepened existing disaster related psychosocial issues.

In October 2019, Direct Relief signed an agreement to fund the purchase of land and the building of a permanent Bumi Sehat Lombok birthing facility that will serve the community and stand as an maternal and child health center of excellence for training local midwives.

The future permanent Bumi Lombok MCH center will provide ongoing services to the local community, it will act as a disaster response base in the event of future earthquakes or cyclones, and it will also have an expansive impact in terms of training and expanding local MCH capacity.

Working with local, national and regional partners to restore and strengthen health infrastructure and services remains Direct Relief’s focus in both Lombok and Sulawesi.

The post Recovery Continues for Earthquake Impacted Communities in Indonesia appeared first on Direct Relief.

The 7-ton shipment, valued at nearly $400,000, included insulin, antibiotics, wound care items, IV fluids and other essential medical inventory requested by the the chief medical officer of the Bahamas. Transportation of the shipment was provided free-of-charge by FedEx.

The death toll in the Bahamas has reached 43 and is expected to rise, and at least 60,000 people will require food and medical assistance, according to Hubert Minnis, Bahamian Prime Minister.

Direct Relief is currently the main supplier of emergency medical materials to the Bahamas with almost 10 tons of emergency medicines and medical supplies with a wholesale value of over $550,000, either already hand-delivered to health facilities in Abaco and Grand Bahama, with medical teams, or that has arrived to the Ministry of Health in Nassau. An additional 3.5 tons of emergency medicines and materials have been staged in Florida – including emergency health kits, hygiene kits, tents, and water filtration supplies.

At the request of the chief medical officer, Direct Relief is supplying multiple FDA-approved vaccine fridges and freezers to enable the Ministry of Health to restore its essential vaccine capacity and prepare for any possible disease outbreaks. Eight ambulances will also be supplied with medical aid, through the American Medical Response, which is sending ambulances to the islands. Most ambulances operated by the Bahamian emergency medical services were destroyed during the hurricane, and AMR ambulances will help fill the gaps.

The post 757 Aircraft Lands in the Bahamas, Carrying Vital Medicines appeared first on Direct Relief.

More than 1,000 people across the region were killed as a result, and 1.85 million people left in need of assistance in Mozambique alone. Widespread flooding also impacted the neighboring countries of Malawi and Zimbabwe.

Water sources, crops, buildings, roads, and other infrastructure were damaged or destroyed, creating an extended and complex emergency response period, as government agencies and international responders raced to reach stranded communities in Mozambique.

Weeks Later, a Second Cyclone

Then on April 25, Tropical Cyclone Kenneth struck northern Mozambique between the districts of Macomia and Mocimboa da Praia in Cabo Delgado province. Kenneth is the strongest recorded cyclone to hit Mozambique. So far there have been 45 recorded cyclone-related fatalities and a cholera outbreak has been declared.

Direct Relief’s Response

After Idai made landfall, Direct Relief dispatched an emergency response team to coordinate with local authorities, UN agencies, local partners, to assess the need and damage in the affected area, and to prepare for incoming donations of medicines and medical supplies.

The team worked closely with local partners Health Alliance International and the Chissano Foundation, while also coordinating with United Nations and government agencies. In the initial stages of the response, communities remained besieged by floodwaters and some 1.8 million people in Mozambique were in need of assistance. Direct Relief’s key local partner, Health Alliance International, has been working in Mozambique for three decades, and was uniquely placed to understand the key health needs and potential pressure points in the health system.

This experience and local expertise led to a focus on supporting primary health clinics that are the initial point of entry into the health system, particularly for pregnant and new mothers. This knowledge, combined with the need to respond to the cholera outbreak, shaped Direct Relief’s delivery of medicines, medical supplies, and funding.

Ongoing Support

As a result of an outpouring of support from donors around the world, Direct Relief has delivered or has in transit 16 tons of medicines and supplies worth more than $3.6 million to partner agencies and healthcare facilities caring for cyclone survivors in Mozambique and Malawi since the disaster, and has also provided cash grants to locally-run organizations to help with recovery efforts.

Working in conjunction with a number of companies to acquire in-kind resources – medicines, supplies, and transportation – enabled Direct Relief to leverage the generous support from donors and ultimately help more people in Mozambique and across the affected region.

With the objective of making the most efficient and effective humanitarian intervention with the resources available, Direct Relief has been coordinating with experienced local partners; gathering, mapping and analyzing data on the spread of cholera and the movement of populations in cooperation with the WHO; and conducting direct on-the-ground health facility assessment and government coordination by way of the Direct Relief Emergency Response Team. This triangulation of conversation, observation, and hard quantitative data has shaped Direct Relief’s response.

From Disaster to Recovery

Direct Relief – as a matter of policy – is committed to spending 100 percent of the remaining Cyclone Idai donated funds in the affected areas. These funds will be used to strengthen primary healthcare infrastructure, specifically focusing on the provision of services to the most vulnerable people in society and help to prepare communities for future disasters.

Direct Relief’s efforts have focused on, and will continue, in four areas:

1. Supporting Primary Health Care & Primary Health Facility Rehabilitation – Providing cash and medical support to partners to enable rehabilitation and function of primary health facilities in the most affected provinces of Beira and Sofala.

2. Targeting Maternal and Child Health Vulnerability – Looking to provide cash grants, midwife kits and other maternal and child health supplies to support midwives and birthing centers serving the affected population. Direct Relief will also continue to support facilities conducting fistula repair in Mozambique.

3. Responding to Cholera – Providing high-level data mapping to support the national and WHO cholera response. As well as, procuring and assembling donations of cholera response medicines and supplies based on need and cholera mapping.

4. Building Resiliency: Disaster Preparedness – Looking to prepare local partners for future cyclone disasters by providing Emergency Health Kits, Emergency Medical Backpacks, and other medical materials and to ensure health facilities are built back better.

Direct Relief’s ongoing response will continue to support needed medical services while helping to rebuild local health systems and strengthen resiliency in the hardest-hit areas.

The post After Cyclones Idai and Kenneth, Recovery in Mozambique Continues appeared first on Direct Relief.

On Monday, the latest shipment of essential emergency medicines arrived in Mozambique, and includes more than 200,000 defined daily doses of antibiotics, analgesics, oral rehydration solution, deworming medicines, and other supplies. The shipment will be delivered this week to Beira, which was badly impacted by the storm, and the supplies will equip public health facilities in the area.

Direct Relief also committed $250,000 to response efforts surrounding Cyclone Idai, and will procure additional medicine based on specific requests from key health facilities in affected areas.  

Direct Relief emergency response staff have now conducted field assessments in Beira, Mozambique, and the team is working with local health authorities, local NGO partners, including Health Alliance International, and other organizations to get critically needed medicines and cholera relief supplies to health groups and hospitals in the affected areas.

Direct Relief is also dispatching emergency medicine and medical supplies to partners in Malawi and Zimbabwe.

When the cyclone made landfall on March, 14, it brought torrential rainfall on an already flooded region. The flood waters created a virtual inland sea in the interior of Mozambique, which left hundreds of thousands cut-off and stranded by flood waters, damaged roads and bridges. The death toll is over 700 across the region and it is predicted that it may ultimately reach 1,000 in Mozambique alone.

Roads are slowly being reopened, which means displaced and stranded communities are gradually being reached, however, at the same time, outbreaks of diarrheal disease are being reported in multiple sites and a cholera outbreak has now been declared.

Government authorities, UN agencies, and international non-profit organizations are racing to assess needs and distribute aid. These needs remain very high with hundreds of thousands needing sustained access to clean water, food, shelter, and health services.

In addition to medical shipments, Direct Relief has also transported 150 kits containing hygiene items, which are being handed over to the Ministry of Health in Maputo for distribution to affected communities.

Meanwhile, in Malawi, a shipment of emergency medical packs, ORS and antibiotics has been dispatched to local organizations responding to Cyclone Idai-related flooding.

Direct Relief staff are continuing to directly coordinate with international, national and local authorities and organizations in Mozambique, including the Chissano Foundation and former President Chissano.

The post Needed Medications Arrive in Mozambique appeared first on Direct Relief.

It is a race against time to rescue as many people as possible, many of whom are still clinging to roofs and trees after six days, while also delivering food, water, and health services to potentially hundreds of thousands of people who are now displaced.

Aerial assessments so far indicate that thousands are cut off by deep floodwaters that have turned the interior of Mozambique into a virtual inland sea. The cyclone destroyed roads and bridges, disabled communications, and cut power.

Fuel supplies are dwindling, clean water and food are scarce, and several health facilities are reportedly damaged or destroyed. Winds from Cyclone Idai ripped the roof off the main hospital in Beira. While the facility is partially functioning, the emergency department is non-operational and running low on medicines and supplies.

Significant logistical constraints posed by damaged infrastructure and deep floodwaters mean that many areas are only accessible by helicopter.

The World Food Programme described the situation as “a major humanitarian emergency that is getting bigger by the hour.”

While the main focus of the response right now is on search and rescue, the spread of disease is a major concern. Extensive flooding combined with a lack of sanitation and contaminated drinking water severely increases the risk of a secondary crisis caused by outbreaks of diarrheal and vector-borne diseases, as well as a host of other primary and chronic health issues that may become critical without access to medicine and health care.

In the medium to longer-term, damage to agricultural lands, crops, and livelihoods from Mozambique to Malawi will likely have a severe impact on the region.

Direct Relief is preparing an emergency shipment of emergency medicine, medical supplies and hygiene items to Zambezia Provincial Health Department to support their response.

Direct Relief is also coordinating with other groups on the ground and making available emergency medicines and medical supplies to local healthcare providers and authorities.

The post Mozambique Faces Possible Worst-Ever Weather Disaster in Southern Hemisphere appeared first on Direct Relief.

#Mozambique‘s Beira takes a direct hit from cyclone #Idai https://t.co/okpDyRWA2y

— Direct Relief (@DirectRelief) March 15, 2019

An estimated 500,000 people weathered the cyclone in total darkness as the eye passed directly over the Mozambique City of Beira, bringing sustained winds of 109 mph and wind gusts up to 132 mph, according to the national weather service of Mozambique.

Damage assessments are just beginning, and parts of Zambezia and Sofala provinces had already been inundated with flooding when the cyclone made landfall. It is likely the vast areas of flood water are isolating many communities, which may severely hamper relief efforts over the next week.

Direct Relief is communicating with local partners, including the Real Medicine Foundation, which has a long-running mobile medical outreach program in partnership with the Zambezia Ministry of Health. Direct Relief has offered medical support to the Zambezia Ministry of Health via its local partner and they will also be reaching out to health authorities in Sofala province.

The post Emergency Update: Tropical Cyclone Idai Makes Landfall in Mozambique appeared first on Direct Relief.

Recovery efforts continue as the vast majority of displaced families are living under tarps and tents, or with extended family in temporary dwellings, many of which have been deemed unsafe due to structural issues.

“The people of Lombok still desperately need help,” said Lombok-native, Budi Niluh, a team leader and head midwife for local organization Bumi Sehat.

Based in Bali, Indonesia, Bumi Sehat is a highly acclaimed organization that provides health services for women and children. In addition to bringing around 600 newborns into the world each year, the midwives and medical teams of Bumi Sehat are often first to respond to disasters in the region.

When Indonesia was struck last year by a series of earthquakes, Bumi Sehat deployed immediately with medicine and disaster relief supplies.

Niluh marshaled the initial emergency medical mission into the disaster zone alongside Bumi Sehat’s founder Robin Lim. There, she found her home destroyed and her family displaced. Since then, Niluh has continued to lead a team of midwives, doctors, and nurses providing 24-hour emergency maternal and child health care to patients beyond the hospital’s walls.

Given the level of destruction, the lack of safe buildings, and the need for pregnant women and new mothers to access maternal care, Niluh and her team established a tent-based health facility in the affected community.

Six months have passed since the team of health professionals started the medical mission. Along the way, Bumi Sehat team has endured extreme weather conditions, yet they continue their life-saving work.

During the day, the team serves local patients. Many have walked miles to receive care due to damaged roadways. In coordination with local health authorities, the team also conducts medical outreach missions in communities that have received little or no resources to sustain primary health care.

Bumi Sehat has reported that while local community members work to recover and rebuild, the need for a place to treat vulnerable patients, including babies, mothers and the elderly, remains high. Rates of birthing complications have spiked as have other health issues like malaria and dengue fever.

Though much of the focus after a disaster is aimed at the immediate emergency phase, the longer-term need for continuity of care is critical. That is why Bumi Sehat is working to provide a commitment of long-term support for the Lombok community, and, in particular, to vulnerable mothers and their babies.

The post Midwives Care for Mothers and Children in an Earthquake Zone appeared first on Direct Relief.

Indonesia’s disaster management agency, the BNPB, is reporting that at least 222 people have been killed and hundreds more have been injured. Preliminary assessments are still being completed and some areas are yet to be reached, so it is likely that the death and injury toll will rise.

Unlike most earthquake-triggered tsunamis, this disaster is thought to have been caused by an undersea landslide as a result of ongoing volcanic activity at Anak Krakatoa.

Indonesia has already been struck by multiple major earthquakes this year and recovery efforts are ongoing in those areas.

The Lombok earthquake killed more than 600 and the Sulawesi earthquake and tsunami left more than 2100 dead and many more injured.

The Muhammadiyah Disaster Management Centre (MDMC), Direct Relief’s long-time local partner, already has teams working on the ground in Banten and Lampung.

In addition to coordinating with MDMC, Direct Relief emergency response staff are in contact with the ASEAN Coordination Center for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management (AHA Centre) and Bumi Sehat, and will continue to monitor the situation as it develops in the next 48 hours.

The post Emergency Alert: Deadly Tsunami Strikes Indonesia appeared first on Direct Relief.

Since August 19, additional earthquakes and tremors have killed another 13 people and brought down already damaged buildings.

The destruction and damage to family houses, public buildings, infrastructure, and places of worship is immense and the clean-up and rebuilding will be exceedingly challenging and time consuming. This means that most of those more than 400,000 displaced people are going to be living in tents, under tarps, out in the open, or in potentially structurally unsound buildings for months to come.

This all means that there is going to be a protracted humanitarian crisis in Lombok as families struggle to maintain adequate shelter, food, clean water, and access to healthcare services. The most vulnerable among this affected community include 59,603 pregnant women, 72,582 infants, 213,724 toddlers, and 304,526 elderly, according to Indonesia’s Ministry of Health.

Supporting pregnant women and new mothers with adequate nutrition, maternal care, safe and hygienic birthing facilities, and post-natal care will be essential in the next 6-12 months to ensure more lives are not lost as a result of this disaster.

Direct Relief is responding to the Lombok earthquakes with their long-term local partner the Bumi Sehat Foundation.

Direct Relief emergency response staff and Bumi’s founder, Robin Lim, have just completed a disaster assessment of the affected areas in Lombok and have reported that the situation is far worse than expected.

Robin and her Lombok team leader, Ibu Budi, are now in the process of establishing a maternal and child health field center and birthing clinic in Lombok that will be vital for ensuring the health and safety of displaced pregnant women and new mothers and their children.

The post Local Health Workers Report From Indonesia After Powerful Quakes appeared first on Direct Relief.

The first earthquake struck on July 29 in the vicinity of Mataram City, leaving 17 people dead, 365 injured, and almost 9,000 displaced. A week later on August 5, with national emergency management agencies and the military still responding, another earthquake struck in the same vicinity. This quake was much larger, measuring 7.0 magnitude and the official death toll currently stands at 105 dead, 236 injured, and thousands more displaced – some in evacuation shelters but many more living out in the open.

Two More Earthquakes Hit Indonesian Island, Killing at Least 12

HONG KONG – The Indonesian island of Lombok was reeling on Monday from two earthquakes that killed at least 12 people a day earlier, just two weeks after a separate earthquake devastated the island and killed at least 460 people.

The Indonesian national disaster management agency (BNPB) and the Indonesia military are responding and as yet there has been no request for international assistance from the Indonesian government. The BNPB have outlined that the current priority needs are for food, water and shelter items.

Robin Lim, founder of Bumi Sehat Foundation, that is based in Bali on the island next to Lombok, has reported that search and rescue operations are ongoing, that displaced families are mostly living out in the open, and that there is a high degree of chaos as tourists try to flee Lombok and the Gili islands by air and by boat.

Direct Relief is making an immediate emergency grant of $5,000 to the Bumi Sehat Foundation to enable their ongoing response and support to earthquake victims.

Support has also been offered to regional partner the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on disaster management (AHA Centre) and through the AHA Centre to the BNPB, as well as to the Muhammadiyah Foundation, Disaster Management Centre.

Updates frm the AHA Centre’s In-Country Liaison Team (ICLT) in #Lombok. The impact of the earthquake is devastating as seen on the pictures, taken in Pamenang, North Lombok. Our appreciation goes to the tireless first responders on the ground. #1asean1response #gempalombok pic.twitter.com/2PyNjqJvO1

— AHA Centre (@AHACentre) August 7, 2018

Direct Relief will continue to closely coordinate with the AHA Centre and other local partners responding to this disaster on the ground as the situation develops.

Editor’s Note: This story was updated on August 20, 2018. 

The post Emergency Update: Indonesia Earthquake appeared first on Direct Relief.

While striving to secure shelter and sustenance, their already precarious situation is compounded by threats of extreme weather, including monsoonal rains and cyclones that pound Bangladesh every year.

What’s more, medical care for the Rohingya is extremely limited, with few places for women and children to receive medical treatment.

Though the Rohingya are fighting back against these overwhelming odds, parents need health facilities to receive their children when they are sick and soon-to-be mothers need regular care and potential life-saving treatment when giving birth.

That’s why Direct Relief is raising support for the Hope Foundation, a local health organization providing critical care to the Rohingya.

When Rohingya communities began fleeing into Bangladesh, Hope Foundation was already providing free health care at its established maternity hospital on the outskirts of Cox’s Bazar, more than an hour’s drive from the nearest refugee camp.

Seeing the urgent medical needs among the newly arrived refugees, Hope Foundation rapidly scaled up its operation, establishing maternal health clinics across the camp as well as a field hospital.

Hope foundation is continuing to provide basic care and maternal health services across its healthcare facilities, but funds are urgently needed to complete construction on the field hospital, purchase medical equipment, and maintain and expand services to Rohingya families in Bangladesh.

It’s important to note that several international groups are providing health services to the Rohingya community and doing a great job; however, donations to the Hope Foundation support a local solution and will help ensure access to health care for Rohingya and Bangladeshi long into the future.

Over the next several weeks, Direct Relief will match every donation made to Hope Hospital on Facebook, up to $100,000.

The goal of hosting the fundraiser on Facebook is to leverage Direct Relief’s initial commitment into additional support for Hope Hospital.

Facebook has waived all processing fees for fundraisers hosted on the platform, meaning Hope Hospital will receive 100 percent of the donations made to the fundraiser.

The post A Facebook Fundraiser for Rohingya Mothers and Children appeared first on Direct Relief.

Direct Relief is currently coordinating with the Pan American Health Organization, local partners, and pharmaceutical companies with manufacturing capacity in the region.

Direct Relief is working with local partners, including Nuestros Ahijados, Presbiterio Kaqchikel, and Fundación Proemigrant, which are all responding to needs of those displaced and injured by the volcanic eruption.

Prior to Sunday’s blast, medicines and other critical supplies had been staged for emergency response, and medical staff had immediate access to that inventory.

In times of emergency, people forced to flee their homes are often left without access to the medications they need to manage chronic conditions, like diabetes or heart disease. Direct Relief has been sending regular shipments of essential medicines to Guatemala for over 30 years, and the current supply of these medicines is being used to meet the medical needs of those displaced.

As the volcano disaster response transitions from the emergency to the recovery phase, Direct Relief will work closely with local partners to ensure they have what they need to continue providing health care to affected communities.

Guatemala has a history of significant natural disasters, including other volcanoes, earthquakes, and hurricanes, and officials report that Sunday’s explosion is Fuego’s most devastating in over 40 years.
Direct Relief is funding the purchase of equipment for first responders, as well as sending other supplies needed to care for thousands of displaced people in the region.

The post Response Continues in Guatemala Following Deadly Volcano Blast appeared first on Direct Relief.

The eruption sent molten rock and ash up to 33,000 feet into the sky, cascading down into villages surrounding the volcano. Most of the deaths are caused by pyroclastic flows.

“Pyroclastic flows occur when eruption columns become too dense to keep rising and instead collapse down the flank of the volcano,” according to volcanologist Dr. Madelaine Willcock  “They are made up of gas, volcanic material, and other debris, can travel at hundreds of kilometres per hour, and be hundreds of degrees Celsius, making them one of the deadliest volcanic phenomena.”

Direct Relief Latin America program staff are in close communication with local partner organizations and will be continuing to coordinate information and needs over the next 48 hours. Local partner Asociación Nuestros Ahijados reported that they have already begun distributing pre-positioned Direct Relief emergency supplies, including N-95 masks.

The typical characteristics of a volcano emergency response are a short 24-­ to 48-hour emergency phase, followed by an extended recovery phase, which may be weeks or years, depending on the context. The emergency phase encompasses the critical window when those people injured in the initial eruption need to receive urgent life-saving care.

The recovery phase is characterized by the extended period of elevated primary health needs among the affected community, particularly those families displaced and living in evacuation centers. The main primary health problems during a volcano response are: respiratory and eye issues, exacerbated chronic conditions, dermatological issues, and maternal and child health care.

Factors that can extend the recovery phase are damage and contamination of sources of drinking water, such as wells, river systems, dams and catchment areas, as well as deforestation and the destruction of crops and livestock, which creates increased vulnerability among subsistence communities and undermines livelihoods. All these factors combine to weaken community health resiliency and increase the need to support local health care providers.

The Guatemalan government has not called for international assistance at this stage. Direct Relief Latin America and emergency response staff will continue to coordinate with and support local partners responding to this disaster.

The post Emergency Alert: Guatemala’s Fuego Volcano Erupts appeared first on Direct Relief.

Watch: Timelapse footage of Bali’s Mount Agung volcano erupting. Read more: https://t.co/kY9NGV2S6e pic.twitter.com/LmPC2Ewhfm

— Reuters (@Reuters) November 27, 2017

At the same time, Mount Monaro, on the South Pacific island nation of Vanuatu, continues to spew ash over nearby communities creating an ongoing respiratory health hazard and threatening livelihoods as acid rain impacts essential family food gardens. An evacuation order has been recently lifted by the government, yet the situation is largely unchanged. Direct Relief has already delivered respiratory supplies, such as N95 masks to local partner Medical Santo, a public medical center located in Luganville, Vanuatu. Additional support has also been requested.

Direct Relief emergency response staff are in contact with staff at local healthcare facilities on each island, as well as with the humanitarian response agency of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, known as the AHA Centre.

The post Evacuations Continue for Indonesia in Wake of Volcano Eruption appeared first on Direct Relief.

Eduardo Mendoza, country director of Direct Relief, Mexico, is currently with the Mexican Operational Response Committee and he reported that there are major concerns for the state of Morelos. Mendoza reported that a number of hospitals have collapsed and the high urban density and lack of resources make the state exceedingly vulnerable.

Direct Relief has offered support to the Mexican Operational Response Committee and an Emergency Health Kit has already been accepted. The EHK is expected to be deployed to a trauma hospital in southern Mexico City in the coming days. The Direct Relief, Mexico team is also in contact with a number of local partners and also with pharmaceutical manufacturing partners within the country.

Assessments are still being conducted and Direct Relief will be scaling up its support to partners in Mexico in the coming days.

The post As Mexico Reels from Deadly Earthquake, Direct Relief Mobilizes Support appeared first on Direct Relief.

The hardest to reach people are often the most in need. Armed conflict, ­and the complex political, socioeconomic and geographical factors that characterize conflict zones, not only produce human suffering but also militate against humanitarian aid. What’s more, as people flee the fighting and populations disperse, humanitarian crises can escalate quickly across vast geographies – both within the country, where families survive as internally displaced people (IDPs), and across borders, where they seek safety and security as refugees.

The resulting challenge for aid agencies is to negotiate the various barriers to delivering aid to those in need. These can include inaccessible ports, roads and bridges, checkpoints, and no-go areas. Such physical obstacles often are coupled with administrative hurdles and a limited capacity to store and transport supplies securely. Direct threats to personnel, drivers and those receiving aid also factor into the difficulty of getting assistance to areas of need.

The ongoing civil conflicts in Afghanistan, Yemen and Syria have created the biggest flow of refugees and one of the greatest humanitarian crises since World War II. The scale of the crisis is hard to fathom and is occurring simultaneously across multiple countries with common and discrete local characteristics.

Afghanistan: The United Nations estimates that nearly one-third of Afghanistan’s population will need aid in 2017. Recognizing the ongoing need, Direct Relief has sent nine shipments of medical aid to Afshar Hospital in southwest Kabul since July 2016, allowing the hospital to carry on their life-saving work in underserved communities. The latest shipment, which arrived Dec. 15, 2016, journeyed almost 8,000 miles through some of the world’s most treacherous territory.

The shipment, which was sent from Direct Relief’s Goleta warehouse, wound its way through the rugged Khyber Pass before crossing the Torkham border from Pakistan into Afghanistan. The shipment took over three months to get to Kabul, primarily because the country’s board of pharmacy was disbanded, and newly appointed officers instituted different importation rules.

The delays added on to the shipment time, but Direct Relief met the criteria, and the shipment of surgical supplies, antibiotics, syringe needles, gauze, bandages and other items arrived at Afshar Hospital.

Syria: With civilians under constant siege, area hospitals in and around Aleppo have also been under attack. Several of these hospitals were destroyed while awaiting shipments from Direct Relief. With doctors and nurses administering care wherever they can, a follow-up shipment from Direct Relief will provide emergency medicine and supplies to treat patients, as well as three medical tents to serve as makeshift hospitals.  Five solar suitcases, which will provide power for the tents, are also en route from Turkey.

Direct Relief also works wherever it can around the edges of the conflict. One example is the Jordanian government, which is supporting more than 1 million Syrian refugees. Donations of medical supplies and medicines from Direct Relief are also enabling medical groups in Turkey and Greece to care for refugees.

Yemen: A similar shipment is on its way to Yemen, which has been in humanitarian crisis since 2015, with children particularly impacted. Direct Relief has shipped medical tents, an emergency health kit and solar suitcases to the country by way of neighboring Djibouti. Yemen’s airport remains closed, leaving sea transport as one of the only options to get aid into the country.

In each place, Direct Relief pursues the same goal of delivering medical aid to refugees who have been forced to flee their country and to those displaced within their country’s borders. To make this possible, creativity and the continual search for excellent partner groups on the ground is key.

Getting aid to those in need in conflict zones is perhaps the hardest challenge faced by Direct Relief. As conflict erupts, access to food, shelter, water and health care is threatened. As people are displaced by fighting, the needs expand even more. It’s not always possible, but often – and always in partnership with local groups – medicine makes it to the people who need it.

The post The Challenge of Bringing Humanitarian Aid into Places of Conflict appeared first on Direct Relief.

Direct Relief established immediate contact with the Ecuadorian Ministry of Public Health and offered assistance in the form of emergency medicines and medical supplies.

Direct Relief’s extensive inventory of medical resources – prescription medications, health-related supplies, hygiene products – were available as a result of in-kind donations from leading pharmaceutical and consumer health companies with which Direct Relief partners on an ongoing basis, including Baxter International Inc., BD, Johnson & Johnson, Abbott, and Unilever.

On April 29^th, Direct Relief chartered a 767 cargo aircraft to deliver more than 47 tons of medications and supplies worth more than $2.1 million (wholesale) to Ecuador.

Supporting Local Partners

Direct Relief’s in-country partners, including Patrulla Aerea Civil Colombiana (PAC) and the Ecuadorian Red Cross, as well as the Ecuadorian Ministry of Public Health, helped identify and distribute the emergency medicines and supplies to hospitals and facilities caring for people affected by the earthquake in 16 cities throughout Ecuador’s northern Pacific coast.

Public healthcare facilities and partner NGOs in the following cities of Ecuador that have received emergency shipments of donated medical material resources from Direct Relief include:

• El Carmen Tosagua
• Esmeraldas Chore
• Flavio Alfaro Junin
• Guayaquil Jipijapa
• Jama

• Manta Santa Ana
• Pajan Portoviejo
• Pedernales Pichincha
• Puerto Viejo 24 de May
• San Vicente Sucre

FedEx supported Direct Relief’s disaster response with trucks to transport medicines and supplies to facilities servicing earthquake survivors in the most remote and rural regions of the county.

The Ecuadorian Ministry of Public Health advised that Direct Relief’s shipment was the single largest infusion of emergency medical aid received by Ecuador following the Earthquake.

Stories from the Field

Direct Relief’s response is always excellent. That this foreign organization responded with such solidarity and so quickly to the terrible crisis that Ecuador suffered in the earthquake, having expressed their solidarity so quickly and generously, fills us with gratitude. Medicines, supplies, and other materials for first aid, sent were exactly what we needed, and allowed us to serve more injured people in the hospital of La Junta de Beneficencia.” — Dr. Luis Sarrazin, former Minister of Public Health of Ecuador and medical advisor for La Junta de Beneficencia. La Junta de Beneficencia was one of Direct Relief’s beneficiaries of the 47 tons of medical aid delivered to Ecuador shortly after the earthquake that struck on the 16^th of April 2016.

The aid we received almost immediately from Direct Relief was very beneficial. My medical colleagues in Guayaquil, Quito, La Junta de Beneficencia de Guayaquil, contacted me immediately and began to coordinate emergency medical car. We had and continue to have a difficult job in organizing medical services to meet so many injured people. Another problem was and still is the number of respiratory problems due to aspiration of asbestos. The health consequences of the quake also presented in infections and other complications due to compromised water quality. I estimate that about 600 people were the beneficiaries of the donated medical aid that supported our efforts to provide relief. We would like to take this opportunity to thank once again Direct Relief for the generous donations we received.” — Dr. Viteri Velasco, president of Fundacion Bahia 2000

Looking Forward: From Disaster to Recovery

As it has done on an ongoing basis before the earthquake, Direct Relief will continue to meet requests for medical assistance from health facilities and organizations serving the most vulnerable people in Ecuador. Direct Relief’s support will help strengthen the resilience of the health system as the country rebuilds damaged infrastructure and continues to care for those impacted by the earthquake.

The post Ecuador Earthquake: 6 Month Update on Direct Relief’s Response appeared first on Direct Relief.

The death toll currently stands at four, with more than 50 people injured.

As many as 100 homes were damaged or destroyed in the quake, as were streets, waterways, and other infrastructure.

An extremely arid province, approximately 250 miles from the Chilean border and 470 miles southeast of Lima, Arequipa has very high poverty indicators. Many homes on the outskirts of the city and in the Andean highlands are constructed using adobe, making them easily susceptible to earthquake damage.

Direct Relief’s Response

Shortly after the quake, Direct Relief established communication with two primary health care providers in the region: Vida Peru in Lima and Paz Peru in Arequipa. In response to their requests, Direct Relief quickly dispatched two pallets of medicines and supplies from its California warehouse. Another shipment, which had arrived in Peru days earlier, was expedited through customs to further aid the response.

The post Emergency Response: Earthquake in Peru appeared first on Direct Relief.

18,600 people remain in 555 evacuation centers across Fiji in the wake of Cyclone Winston. The death toll from the cyclone remains at 43. UN assessments indicate that a total of 87,500 women of reproductive age have been affected by Cyclone Winston, and it is estimated that this amount includes ‘5,600 pregnant women, of which 1,600 are expected to give birth in the next three months.

The UN estimates that 200 of these deliveries are at risk of an obstetric complication requiring emergency medical care. As a result, maternal and child healthcare is a critical issue for families in the affected areas, where shelters are destroyed, and 38 percent of the nation’s health facilities have sustained some form of damage – 8 with major damage and 55 with minor damage.

100% of crops destroyed in areas most affected by Tropical #CycloneWinston in #Fiji pic.twitter.com/etAvNtRa25

— FAO in Emergencies (@FAOemergencies) March 1, 2016

Wide-scale destruction of crops will have a lasting social impact, especially in the sugar cane industry that employs some 30,000 workers. The CEO of Fiji’s sugar industry association, Mr. Mohammed Rafiq, reports that it is now too late to plant a second crop, and the farmers who do the planting are now trying to rebuild their houses. This means that thousands of poor farmers will have less income this year from their crops at a time when they need more financial resources to rebuild their homes in the wake of Cyclone Winston.

Developments:

Working closely with Fiji’s Ministry of Health and the Fiji Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Services Center (FPBS), Direct Relief has already delivered and distributed 10 tons of specifically requested emergency medicines and medical supplies. Direct Relief has assisted the FPBS in developing a national distribution plan and supported this distribution by renting trucks and funding the transportation of goods via ocean ferry between islands.

On behalf of the Korovou [Hospital] team, I wish to extend our gratitude and appreciation for the donated items that w[ere] delivered to us…. We have been in need for an autoclave machine for more than three years, and this is an answer to our prayers.” — Dr. Ilisapeci Lasaro, Sub-Division Medical Officer, Tailevu.

Direct Relief’s emergency medicines and medical supplies, including a complete disaster module, have been distributed to Fiji’s national referral hospital, the Colonial War Memorial Hospital; Rakiraki Maternity Hospital; Savusavu Hospital; Lautoka Hospital; and Korovou Hospital.

The FPBS is also utilizing Direct Relief’s weatherproof orange tubs to transport requested medicines out to the most remote affected island communities, including Udu Nursing Station on the Island of Kabara – 180 miles southeast of Suva.

Working with Fiji’s Ministry of Health, Direct Relief is now readying a shipment of requested emergency tents – provided by Barebones – that will be utilized at the sites of damaged health facilities. These tents will be donated to the Ministry of Health via the FPBS, to Savusavu Community Foundation, and the Loloma Foundation.

The post Day 20: Cyclone Winston Response, Fiji appeared first on Direct Relief.

Wide-scale destruction of crops will have a major medium- to long-term social impact, especially in the sugar cane industry that employs some 30,000 workers. Government, NGOs, local organizations and regional military forces have mobilized, however, the scale of the international response is noticeably smaller than for some other recent disasters, such as for Cyclone Pam in Vanuatu (2015). 

Right after the cyclone hit, Direct Relief’s pre-positioned typhoon module was deployed to some of the most affected areas. This was followed by the assisted deployment of two medical teams and the arrival of Direct Relief’s 24 pallets — a 10-ton shipment of specifically requested emergency medicines and medical supplies. Working closely with the Fijian government, local partners, and the UN, Direct Relief is now assisting in the national strategy for the management and distribution of incoming relief supplies.

The post Emergency Update: Fiji, Cyclone Winston Response appeared first on Direct Relief.

At this time, Direct Relief is coordinating its response with partners, gathering information, sending emergency medicines and medical supplies, and doing everything possible to be in a position to assist local health teams and health facilities as fast and efficiently as possible.

During the period when a cyclone or hurricane is impacting the affected country, there is limited information. Curfews are in place, and everyone — from residents of rural villages to heads of state — has sought shelter and safety in order from the storm. It is during this period when we can only watch and wait that we can draw on historical precedence and experience to predict how the situation may play out.

#CycloneWinston: massive clean-up begins in Fiji as death toll jumps to at least 10https://t.co/yhBL50K8FI pic.twitter.com/9y7zTL5AYs

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) February 22, 2016

History tells us that the majority of hurricanes and cyclones do not lead to large-scale loss of life but they nearly always cause widespread damage to infrastructure and crops. Even in disasters such as Hurricane Katrina and Typhoon Haiyan, which caused a substantial loss of life and injury, there were secondary factors. In the case of Katrina, the exacerbating factor was the collapse of the levees that protected the Lower Ninth Ward. In Typhoon Haiyan, the secondary factor was the funnelling effect of the Leyte Gulf that channelled the energy of the storm surge directly into the city of Tacloban.

There are, of course, other factors that can modify a community’s resilience and, therefore, its risk from natural climactic events. These include geography, population density, population health, building standards, socioeconomic status, and the relative effectiveness of early warning and evacuation system and centres.

Direct Relief recently responded after Cyclone Pam devastated Vanuatu. We are now able to learn from this and apply our experience to the current situation in Fiji, keeping in mind that there is always the potential for some unforeseen secondary multiplying factor that transforms a weather emergency into a massive natural disaster.

The response after Cyclone Pam in Vanuatu is illustrative of a typical hurricane disaster event, and it allows us to make some generalisations. Often, during a hurricane or cyclone event, it is not until the morning of the day after the storm that reports start filtering in about the extent of the damage.

Officials fear the death toll from the cyclone in Fiji, now 21, will keep climbing.https://t.co/UCgbHHEAkc pic.twitter.com/YeNTRwecKS

— NPR (@NPR) February 22, 2016

This information comes in fairly predictable stages. Cyclones and hurricanes often cut power and communications lines. Debris such as fallen trees and power poles can block roads and stall initial disaster assessments and the movement of emergency services. Reliable reporting on the extent of damage often comes from the capital and major centres first. This initial information is followed by a lag and concern regarding the situation in remote rural areas and outer islands. Sometimes, even though there may not be a wide-scale impact, difficulty accessing these areas and a lack of lines of communication means that the situation may not be known for days. Once these areas have been assessed, then a fuller picture of the natural disaster can be assembled and the government and NGO responders alike can act accordingly.

In the case of Vanuatu, though the cyclone had devastated large areas of the country, it took some days to confirm that that the loss of life was less than anticipated. In Vanuatu, after the initial emergency phase, there was a need for medicines and supplies to treat medical issues related to a lack of access to food and water, people living in proximity to evacuation centres and without shelter in villages, MCH issues, and issues related to injuries and skin infection caused by environmental factors such as debris on the ground.

So we can infer from historical precedent that if a hurricane doesn’t trigger some secondary multiplying factor, then the probability is that there will be widespread damage to infrastructure and crops but not a huge loss of life.

Armed with this knowledge and experience, we can start predicting and preparing even while we watch and wait for reports to come in from the effect of cyclone Winston in Fiji.

The post Cyclone Winston Response, Fiji: Learning from history to predict and respond to devastating climactic events. appeared first on Direct Relief.

A video posted by BBC News (@bbcnews) on Oct 28, 2015 at 6:08am PDT

The remoteness, vastness, and inaccessibility of these mountainous northern regions means that it is difficult to get accurate information regarding the situation on the ground, and it is even harder for the government and aid agencies to mount and sustain an emergency response. Current official figures put the death toll at more than 350 with more than 2000 injured; however, this is likely to rise. Another critical factor in these areas is the weather. With snow already on the ground, there is a real need to get shelter and supplies to those displaced by the disaster.

Response Developments:

Direct Relief is working with the following organizations to mobilize medical resources to help earthquake survivors:

The Marafie Foundation: Their staff report their program area has been badly affected due to the earthquake. They are assessing the damage and will be arranging relief for the people who will now be exposed to harsh cold weather. Direct Relief has prepared a medical aid shipment to depart for the Marafie Foundation. The medicines and supplies will be used  to treat earthquake victims.

American Medical Overseas Relief (AMOR): Direct Relief is in the process of preparing a shipment for AMOR, which is located in Kabul, Afghanistan. While AMOR reports only minor damage in Kabul, there is the possibility for the supplies to be consigned to groups responding in the north of the country.

Direct Relief is also in communications with the Pakistan Institute of Prosthetics and Orthotics (PIPOS), and organization Direct Relief has supported since the 2005 earthquake in Pakistan.

Through this network of organizations and facilities in the region that receive support from Direct Relief on an ongoing basis, Direct Relief has connected with officials in Pakistan involved in the response. The Pakistani military has assumed management of a hospital in Mingora in the Swat valley north of Peshawar, where it is assisting with the treatment of patients. Direct Relief is now working with the proper authorities in Pakistan to clear medicines and supplies through customs and deliver them to where they are required. Direct Relief has also connected with officials in Chitral, an area north of Mingora in KP and within 100kms of the Earthquake’s epicenter.

The post Emergency Update: Pakistan & Afghanistan Earthquake, 10/28 appeared first on Direct Relief.

The Western Pacific has experience several strong storms this year and climatologists are expecting more to come as a severe El Nino brings the likelihood of extreme weather.

Direct Relief will be monitoring the situation as it develops in the coming days.

Potential population affected: 818,593.

Reference: GDACS Event Report – Dujuan-15

The post Tropical Cyclone Dujuan-15: Japan, Taiwan & China appeared first on Direct Relief.

Direct Relief’s South America and Emergency program staff are in contact with local partners and will be monitoring the situation as it develops in the next 72 hours.

Estimated IDPs due to Volcano: 300+ evacuated

Estimated Affected Population: Unknown

Reference: Ecuador declares state of emergency over volcano – BBC

Since 2010, Direct Relief has provided six Ecuadorian health care partners with aid totaling $2,122,650.

The post Situation Report: Mt. Cotopaxi, Volcano, Ecuador appeared first on Direct Relief.

A red alert has been issued as Typhoon Noul tracks northwest toward the Philippines. Direct Relief emergency response staff are in contact with partners on the ground and will be monitoring the situation as it develops in the next 72 hours.

The typhoon is predicted to intensify before it makes landfall in northern Philippines on Saturday, in the vicinity of Cagayan province. Preparation activities are already underway in the Philippines as residents in the storm’s path brace for the impact.

The Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System predicts that up to 2.8 million people may be affected by the storm.

Mashable reports, “Typhoon Noul is projected to peak as a Category 4 storm, and make landfall during the weekend with winds closer to 125 miles per hour, although tropical cyclone-intensity forecasts made more than several hours in advance have considerable uncertainty.”

View live tracking of the storm in relation to Direct Relief’s health care partners in the area on this map.

The post Monitoring Typhoon Noul as it Tracks Toward the Philippines appeared first on Direct Relief.

A shipment of first aid supplies, exam gloves, and hygiene items were dispatched earlier this month to local partner organization Foundation for Educational, Social and Economic Development (FEDES – Fundación Educativa de Desarrollo Economico y Social) after wildfires affected 6,000 people in the port city of Valparaiso. These items will be immediately utilized by FEDES as part of the flood disaster response.

The torrential rain produced major flooding and serious mudslides in the regions of Atacama, Tarapaca, Antofagasta and Coquimbo. The Atacama Desert is considered the driest desert in the world. The heavy rains have seriously affected the area’s infrastructure and housing, which are not built for such conditions. This has greatly contributed to the seriousness of the situation.

FEDES is assessing the needs of the affected populations. So far, they have reported that what is needed most is: blankets, diapers, formula, hygienic products, and basic medicines for displaced families.

To support Direct Relief’s emergency preparedness and response initiatives, click here.

Related post: Aid Bound for Chile Following Wildfire Near Port Cities

The post Responding to Severe Flooding in Northern Chile appeared first on Direct Relief.

Reports from the northern islands indicate they are okay, apart from the eastern coast of Pentecost. The southern island group, especially Tanna, were hit badly.

The roads have been cleared in and around the capital Port Vila and water is on to about 80 percent of the city, however, no one seems confident it is potable. Power is still out in much of the city.

The real challenge in the outer islands now is food and water as a large percentage of crops, private gardens and fresh water sources have been damaged or completely destroyed. I have seen before-and-after images of a number of small islands and they have been completely defoliated.

There is also a very real potential for disease outbreaks and some malnutrition as community food stocks have been destroyed and the provision of food and water has been slow. This may create an unanticipated need for certain medicines and supplies –  the contacts are in place to react to these needs rapidly and to future needs in the event of another disaster.

Information is still coming in from the islands and this will speed up as cell coverage is re-established. This means the overall situation and priorities of the response may evolve in the next 72 hours and we are now in a position to react, if required.

Good lines of communications are established with the Ministry of Health (MOH), World Health Organization, and MOH medical storage facility. The chief storage and supply manager said there may be a medical supply gap in the next months between the current stock and the arrival of the next order.

The post Update: Vanuatu Cyclone Response appeared first on Direct Relief.

Information regarding the situation in the norther Vanuatu islands is scarce. Even on Efate island, where Port Vila (the capital and largest city) is located, there still hasn’t been a proper assessment of the entire island because of blocked roads and damaged bridges.

The city has partial power and the water supply is only reaching some areas. There are reports from some of those areas that the water is no longer potable. The airport has re-opened to commercial flights today and aid is getting in, however there is not inter-island transport. Serious concerns remain for the outer islands.

In Kiribati, Direct Relief is in touch with Dr. Martina Fuchs from the Real Medicine Foundation. The organization is requesting a needs list from the government of Kiribati. The President has requested assistance for Southern Kiribati Hospital and Betio Hospital.

Direct Relief continues to gather more information as it comes through and is prepared to send emergency aid to the affected areas.

The post Cyclone Pam: Responding to Medical Needs in the South Pacific appeared first on Direct Relief.

The earthquake hit at 22:00 local time and strong tremors were felt in the capital Islamabad, 62 miles to the south of the epicentre. There have been no reports of casualties or widespread damage as yet, however, it may take some time for information to reach authorities.

Direct Relief is reaching out to local partners in Pakistan as we try to ascertain if a major humanitarian incident has occurred. Direct Relief’s emergency response team will continue to monitor the situation as it becomes clearer in the next 24 hours. At this stage, the potential humanitarian impact of this earthquake has been rated as medium.

In 2005, northern Pakistan, Afghanistan, and India were hit by a deadly earthquake that claimed the lives of some 100,000 people and left another 130,000 injured.

To support Direct Relief’s emergency preparedness and response programs, click here.

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Guatemala’s Fuego Volcano begun erupting on Saturday, spewing ash and rocks into surrounding villages and forcing the closure of the main international airport in Guatemala City, 25 miles to the northeast.

Direct Relief is in close contact with representatives of partner organization God’s Child Project in the eruption zone.

Patrick Atkinson, CEO of God’s Child Project, reported that there are large numbers of evacuees, and that they have already opened their pre-positioned Direct Relief Emergency Medical Module in response to the eruption.

Atkinson also reported that, “The ash and poisonous gases are rolling across the valley where our project, programs, and hospital for malnourished infants is located.”

Direct Relief is currently preparing to send an emergency shipment of requested items, including inhalers and face masks.

Direct Relief emergency staff are maintaining close contact with partners in the eruption zone and we will be monitoring the situation as it develops in the next 48 hours.

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An estimated 121,000 people have been displaced by the flooding in Malawi alone, where at least 53 people are reported dead. Concern across the affected countries is now turning to the potential for disease outbreaks, with displaced people living in poor sanitary conditions and lacking access to clean drinking water and health care.

The shipment will be sent to Partners in Health in Malawi, whose staff requested antibiotics and other supplies. They report that in the Neno district where they work, around 2,000 people – including 1,300 children – have been affected and that 300 of these people are being sheltered in a school.

Direct Relief continues to be in contact with partner organizations on the ground, ready to respond to additional requests for assistance.

To support Direct Relief’s Emergency Preparedness and Response programs, donate here.

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Reinforcing the importance of emergency preparedness, health providers in the regions hit by Tropical Storm Jamgi should have access to the medical resources distributed by Direct Relief earlier this month in response to Typhoon Hagupit. This includes emergency response packs, medications and supplies that were sent to Eastern Samar Provincial Hospital and Samar Provincial Hospital. Three Typhoon Modules are still positioned in the Visayas and Direct Relief’s main warehouse in Cebu.

Emergency staff are working to connect with local health facilities in the affected regions, although the holiday might slow responses.

Please check back in the coming days for more updates.

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Direct Relief partner Leyte Provincial Hospital (LPH) broke open the typhoon module during the height of Typhoon Hagupit and they are now using the medicines and supplies at the hospital and in the smaller health facilities in the hardest hit areas.

The module – one of three pre-positioned in the country earlier this year in preparation for storm season – contains enough medicines to treat 5,000 people for a month.

LPH is also utilising other medicines and supplies that Direct Relief trucked to them a couple of weeks ago, including a pallet of IV solution. Additionally, Dr. Absin, the Leyte Provincial Health Officer and chief of LPH, is directing the distribution of medicines and supplies to other facilities in areas that have been hit badly by the typhoon.

The typhoon is now moving away from Samar and has lost some of its potency. It altered course to head west across Samar and it has now turned northwest again. This means it dropped below Legaspi and will also track below Manila.

Samar Provincial Hospital requested a typhoon module as they are seeing elevated patient levels and are having trouble resupplying certain things.

There has been no indication of a wide scale or even localized emergency at this time – so there is cautious optimism that disaster preparation activities and the massive evacuation have reduced the overall humanitarian impact of the typhoon.

There has been, and continues to be, a massive volume of rain which has become the focus – Catbalogan has had 1.5 feet in less than 48 hours. Similar rainfall is expected in the next 48 hours between Bicol and Manila, so flooding and landslides are the key hazards.

Everything at this stage is pointing to a minimal humanitarian impact from the typhoon yet moderate to extensive damage to housing and infrastructure in certain areas.

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With typhoon Hagupit about to make landfall in the Philippines it is a good time to reflect on the importance of both disaster preparedness and response planning.

Natural climactic events become humanitarian disasters when they exceed the capacity of a community to cope. With poor disaster preparation and planning a relatively minor natural event can become a calamity, conversely, with good preparation and planning a severe climactic event such as a typhoon can be endured with minimal loss of life.

The destructive power of last years super typhoon Haiyan and the humanitarian emergency it created has served as a wake up call for communities living in high disaster risk areas and for governments responsible for disaster planning.

As typhoon Hagupit bears down on the Philippines, lives will be saved because disaster preparedness has already occurred and those plans are now being enacted. This means that at-risk communities have been identified and are evacuated to designated sites with adequate sanitation and enough food, water and supplies to cater for them. This also means preparing to respond to a disaster by stockpiling the essential emergency medicines and medical supplies to treat a given population.

The provision of this emergency medical aid to partners is a central component of Direct Relief’s disaster preparedness and response strategy in the Philippines and in other high disaster risk countries. As part of this strategy, Direct Relief’s typhoon module program is specifically designed to increase the capacity of communities to respond to natural disasters through the pre-positioning of essential emergency medicines and supplies. As part of an emergency response, the typhoon modules contain enough medicine and supplies to treat 5,000 people for one month.

Direct Relief currently has two typhoon modules pre-positioned with health facility partners in the path of typhoon Hagupit and one situated within the region ready to be delivered to wherever it is most needed in the wake of the typhoon.

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Dennis Chiong from the Cebu Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council commented today that unlike typhoon Haiyan, Hagupit is moving very slowly which has the potential to increase the overall impact of the storm as it moves across land. This slow rate of advance means that each community in the path of the typhoon will be subjected to a much longer period of high winds and torrential rainfall. Haiyan moved at approximately 40 mph whereas Hagupit is currently moving at a speed of around 9 mph.

The thing that is going to save the most lives this typhoon is the last typhoon.

Typhoon Haiyan is still fresh in peoples minds and municipalities and provinces have been thinking about and planning for disaster preparation and response all year. The resilience of communities across the regions is higher than it has ever been.

Dr. Absin, the Leyte Provincial Health Officer and head of Leyte Provincial Hospital, reported to Direct Relief staff that they have finished disaster preparing the hospital and have their Direct Relief typhoon module in a secure location ready to be used if there is a humanitarian emergency.

Direct Relief staff on the ground will continued to coordinate and maintain contact with partner facilities and organisations across the affected regions as the typhoon makes landfall in the next 24 hours.

Estimated potentially affected population: ​19 million within category 1 zone.

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