Humanitarian Aid Reaches 18 Countries, 50 U.S. States — From India to Ecuador to Puerto Rico

This week, Direct Relief dispatched 670 shipments of essential medical aid to all 50 U.S. states and territories, as well as 18 countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador, Fiji, Haiti, India, Iraq, and Ukraine.

These shipments encompassed 17.1 million defined daily doses of medications for diabetes, surgical anesthesia, asthma, and mental health treatment.

Disaster Response: Hurricane Ernesto and Wildfires

Direct Relief rapidly responded to the immediate humanitarian and medical needs following Hurricane Ernesto, which made landfall in Puerto Rico, causing widespread power outages across the island. With a team already stationed in Puerto Rico, Direct Relief was well-positioned to prepare for and respond rapidly to the storm's effects.

In collaboration with the local organization La Fondita de Jesús, Direct Relief organized a community health fair in Plaza Sicardó, Río Piedras. The event targeted people experiencing homelessness and other vulnerable communities, providing medical consultations, raincoats, thermal blankets, essential personal care items, and solar-powered lights.

In addition to having emergency response staff on the ground, Direct Relief has strategically placed caches of emergency medical supplies at health clinics across Puerto Rico and other hurricane-prone areas. These caches contain the medical items most needed in the wake of a disaster, including trauma supplies, antibiotics, and medications for diabetes, hypertension, and other chronic conditions.

Direct Relief has been working in Puerto Rico for years to bolster the island's resilience to storms. One of Direct Relief's key initiatives, Power for Health, involves equipping nonprofit healthcare facilities with backup power systems, including solar and battery storage. These systems proved invaluable this week. When the storm knocked out power across the island, health facilities equipped with these resilient power systems maintained electricity, ensuring that patient services could continue uninterrupted and refrigerated medications remained at the correct temperature.

Beyond Puerto Rico, Direct Relief continues to support ongoing recovery efforts in the Caribbean and the U.S. Gulf Coast, regions still grappling with the aftermath of Hurricanes Debbie and Beryl.

Direct Relief also remains active in assisting communities affected by wildfires in California, providing first responders with emergency medical packs and distributing N95 respirators, allergy medication, and other supplies to mitigate the impact of poor air quality.

UNITED STATES

In the U.S. this week, Direct Relief delivered 643 shipments, weighing a total of 13,758 pounds, and containing 2 million doses of medications to organizations including the following:

AROUND THE WORLD

Globally, Direct Relief shipped over 15.1 million defined daily doses of medication, totaling 113,978 pounds, to countries including the following:

YEAR TO DATE

Since January 1, 2024, Direct Relief has delivered 15,900 shipments to 2,088 partner organizations across 54 U.S. states and territories and 83 countries. These shipments contained 298.1 million defined daily doses of medication, valued at $955.2 million (wholesale), and weighed a total of 3.6 million pounds.

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