The FedEx Express MD-10 was loaded today in Memphis with medicines and medical supplies to assist Direct Relief’s humanitarian efforts for the people and communities affected by Hurricane Irma. The resources will be delivered to community health centers and clinics throughout Florida, in close coordination with the Florida Association of Community Health Centers, as well as to hospitals in Anguilla, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, U.S. Virgin Islands, and British Virgin Islands. The cargo jet was also carrying more than 4,000 hygiene kits for Heart to Heart International as well as employee relief supplies and generators.

The relief supplies were unloaded upon arrival in Miami, and more than 150 dogs and cats from Miami-area shelters were loaded on board the MD-10. The animals were then flown to Oakland, Calif., where they were delivered to no-kill shelters in the San Francisco area.

“On behalf of our 400,000 FedEx team members, we take great pride in using our global network to deliver hope and help in times of crisis,” said David J. Bronczek, president and chief operating officer of FedEx Corp. “We are inspired by the passion of these organizations and their drive to make a difference in the world. All of us at FedEx remain committed to working closely with humanitarian and disaster relief organizations to provide support and deliver supplies to assist those hardest hit by these storms.”

Direct Relief for Those Who Need It Most

FedEx has worked with Direct Relief for more than a decade to deliver medical resources during times of disaster. “Hurricane Irma’s toll on lives and livelihoods in Florida and across the Caribbean has been steep, while at the same time damaging to the health facilities and infrastructure that are essential for recovery,” said Thomas Tighe, president and CEO, Direct Relief. “That’s why the leadership of FedEx in logistics and transportation is critically important and serves as a lifeline to the people and communities still at risk.”

How @MiamiHeat helped save #dogs from euthanization (with a little help) after #HurricaneIrma https://t.co/Jp5yMXwxdh @FedEx @DirectRelief pic.twitter.com/Y4OCXF9QFN

— Connie Ogle (@OgleConnie) September 15, 2017

Teaming Up to Save Shelter Animals

Hurricane Irma also created a pet emergency, with shelters becoming quickly overcrowded due to displaced dogs and cats in hard-hit areas. Members of the Miami HEAT heard about the overcrowding crisis at local shelters and collaborated with the Golden State Warriors to come up with a plan. The NBA teams reached out to FedEx to assist.

“As residents of South Florida, we have experienced our fair share of hurricanes through the years and we are keenly aware of the challenges before, during and after a storm,” said Eric Woolworth, president of The HEAT Group’s Business Operations. “Displaced or abandoned pets are helpless and heart-breaking casualties of a hurricane’s aftermath. This cross-country airlift wouldn’t be possible without the generosity of our friends at FedEx and the Golden State Warriors. I speak for everyone at the HEAT and AmericanAirlines Arena when I say our hope is two-fold: to reunite lost pets with their owners and to encourage South Floridians to consider adopting a furry friend who is in desperate need of a new home.”

“It’s been eye-opening to learn about all the animals affected by natural disasters like Hurricane Irma, so when I heard about this event, I knew I wanted to be involved,” said Warriors center Zaza Pachulia. “I’m proud to represent my teammates and the Warriors organization as a part of this great collaboration, and I’m looking forward to hearing about all these dogs and cats finding loving homes in the Bay Area.”

Providing Shelter

As part of their efforts to assist animals impacted by Hurricane Irma, the ASPCA is providing Miami-Dade Animal Services with sheltering assistance and helped facilitate the transport of hundreds of displaced homeless animals from Miami area shelters to the West Coast. The ASPCA is providing ground transportation for approximately a hundred animals upon their arrival at the Oakland International Airport to the Marin Humane Society and the Humane Society for Southwest Washington, where they will eventually be made available for adoption. In total, the ASPCA has helped transport more than 1,000 animals out of communities impacted by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, and continues to provide search-and-rescue and sheltering assistance in Florida and Texas.

“The ASPCA is pleased to be in a position where we can assist animal shelters in Florida by helping move homeless cats and dogs out of impacted communities to free up much-needed space for owned pets displaced by the storm,” said Dick Green, senior director of Disaster Response for ASPCA Field Investigations and Response. “The animals transported to the West Coast today will have a second chance to find safe and loving homes thanks to destination shelters opening their doors for Florida cats and dogs in need.”

This special relief flight is part of the company’s FedEx Cares initiative, through which FedEx will invest $200 million in more than 200 global communities by 2020 to create opportunities and deliver positive change around the world.

For more information on the relief effort, please visit the FedEx blog here.

The post FedEx, Direct Relief, Heart to Heart International, Miami HEAT and Golden State Warriors Team Up For Hurricane Irma Critical Relief appeared first on Direct Relief.

More than 1 million people in Haiti are still in need due to the hurricane, and disease remains rampant, with almost 4,000 cholera cases reported since Oct. 4.

Direct Relief was quick to respond to healthcare partners after the storm and will continue to do so through the recovery.

Financial Summary

Direct Relief received more than 3,000 Hurricane Matthew-designated financial contributions totaling $827,962; including pledges, the total increases to $1,071,266.

Direct Relief recognizes that the generous supporters who pledged and gave more than $1 million in response to Hurricane Matthew did so with the express intent that their contributions benefit people affected by the storm.

In accepting funds for Hurricane Matthew, Direct Relief understands that both those who contributed — and the people for whose benefit the contributions were made — deserve to know, in detail, how Direct Relief is using these funds.

*Direct Relief does not rely on government funding.

The Response

As the world’s attention shifts, Direct Relief remains committed to supporting the needs of local healthcare providers in Haiti and the U.S.

United States

Direct Relief shipped $1.3 million worth of supplies to impacted communities in the U.S. after Matthew. Five tons of medicines and medical supplies were sent in 29 different shipments.

Before the storm made landfall, Direct Relief had prepositioned emergency medical modules in the hurricane’s path. Two were opened after the storm, one at the Roanoke Chowan Community Health Center in North Carolina, and another at the Franklin C. Fetter Health Care Network in South Carolina.

Each U.S.–bound pack contains enough medicines and supplies to treat 100 patients for three to five days after a hurricane hits.

Haiti

Roadways and bridges were washed away by the storm, and some of the hardest-hit communities in the southwestern part of the country also proved the most difficult to access. In the following weeks, Direct Relief used any means possible to transport aid, including by helicopters and ships.

Since Oct. 4, Direct Relief delivered $10 million worth of medicines and medical supplies to Haiti – nearly 20 tons. That included more than half a million daily doses of medication.

Material Support

Below is a list of companies that contributed medical resources to the response.

Looking Forward

Cholera persists as a life-threatening force in the country, and Direct Relief will continue to supply partners with supplies to treat this preventable, but deadly, disease. Direct Relief is continuing to deliver shipments of oral rehydration salts, IV equipment and other needed supplies.

The next delivery is scheduled to arrive in the coming days with more than 500,000 water purification sachets. Each sachet can clean 10 liters of drinking water. In total, the shipment will result in nearly 1.5 million gallons of safe drinking water.

The shipment will also contain oral rehydration salts, which can be mixed with the purified water to restore the electrolytes of a dehydrated person.

The post Hurricane Matthew: The Response Continues appeared first on Direct Relief.

Materials Breakdown:

(NOTE: Defined Daily Dose (DDD) is a standard unit of drug utilization maintained by the World Health Organization. The DDD measures the recommended maintenance dosage of a drug for its’ primary indication in an adult for one day.)

• 118,771 pounds, 165 skids, $14,801,378.00 value, 6.2 million defined daily doses (DDD) of medications, which include:
  • 40,000 DDD of antibiotics that include amoxicillin, azithromycin, clarithromycin, ceftriaxone, cephalexin, doxycycline, gentamicin, and levofloxacin
  • 15,000 DDD of cardiac medication such as enalapril and nifedipine that reduce the risk of stroke and heart attack by treating high blood pressure, congestive heart failure, and other heart problems
  • 220,000 DDD of analgesics such as acetaminophen, celecoxib and propofol
  • 28,000 DDD of esomeprazole and lansoprazole to help prevent stomach problems caused by pain medicine
  • More than 2 million DDD of glipizide to treat type 2 diabetes

Medical Aid Enroute from India

In response to a direct request from the Nepal Ministry of Health and Population and their Emergency Operations Center, Direct Relief purchased US$260,000 worth of materials in India through Doctors for You. The supplies were then sent from Delhi to Kathmandu.

Items include:

• 5 Digital Xrays (Siemens)
• 5 Ventilators (Drager)
• Implants and Orthopedic supplies equipment
• Medicines and medical supplies

The medication/supply items were flown free of charge on Jet Airways from Delhi to Katmandu and arrived on Saturday, May 9 at 08:50.  The larger equipment items and orthopedic supplies were trucked overland from Delhi to Katmandu via three trucks and arrived in to Katmandu on the evening of May 9.

Safe Birth Kits for One Heart Worldwide

Direct Relief has procured 1,500 safe birth kits ($7,000) from a company in India. These will be trucked to One Heart from India next week. Another 10,000 kits will be available in the next two weeks. One Heart estimates there will be 16,000-20,000 deliveries in two of the hardest hit districts – Sindhupalchok and Dhading – where they work.

The post Nepal Earthquake Response: Situation Report, 5/11 appeared first on Direct Relief.

The charter carries aid from three relief organizations – Direct Relief, Heart to Heart, and Water Mission.

The plane from Memphis will land in Dubai, U.A.E, where it will meet additional relief supplies. Teams on the ground will prioritize the most urgent shipments and the plane will quickly turn around and head into Kathmandu. Relief teams in Nepal are standing by to offload and distribute the  supplies.

The same plane will return to Dubai to reload another completely full flight. It will then head back to Kathmandu to deliver the rest of the supplies. The FedEx donated transportation and logistics services amount to more than 178,000 pounds of relief supplies for Nepal in the coming days.

Supplies from Direct Relief are valued at nearly $15 million and include prescription medicines, IV solutions, anti-infective agents, gloves, nutritional products, wound care supplies, and medical equipment. The breakdown of materials are as follows:

• 118,771 pounds, 165 skids, over 6 million defined daily doses of medications
• 20 hospital tents with solar lighting to facilitate safe births
• The shipment will support 6 hospitals in and around Katmandu, 5 emergency medical teams, One Heart Worldwide, and the Ministry of Health.

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