Second Emergency Aid Shipment Airlifted to Mexico
September 24, 2009 

Direct Relief is dispatching a second round of aid today for residents of Baja California affected by Hurricane Jimena earlier this month. Valued at more than $137,000 (wholesale), the consignment includes nutritional products and needed medicines, including antibiotics.

Included in the donation is the ready-to-drink oral rehydration product CeraSport, made by CeraProducts, a long-standing supporter of Direct Relief’s emergency response work. Oral rehydration products are one of the most requested items during emergencies, when water supplies are compromised. Dehydration can become fatal if not treated.

Aeromedicos, a Direct Relief partner, is airlifting the donation to Mexico, where the aid will be distributed to the Cadeje Hospital in the city of Cadeje; the Muleje Hospital, a small public hospital in the city of Muleje; and the Santa Rosalia Hospital, just up the coast from Muleje. These facilities are located on the south-central coasts of Baja, where much of the damage from Hurricane Jimena occurred. Homes, schools, medical facilities, and roads have been severely damaged and wells have been tainted, leaving residents in great need.

Aeromedicos volunteers include pilots and healthcare providers who supply and staff local clinics and health facilities that treat Baja residents. The Santa Barbara-based group has been working in Mexico since 1974.

Emergency Aid Airlifted to Mexico in Jimena’s Wake

September 11, 2009

Direct Relief today sent an air shipment, carried by partner group Aeromedicos, containing more than $11,000 (wholesale) worth of medical supplies and pharmaceuticals to the town of Mulege in Baja California Sur, Mexico, which was badly affected by Hurricane Jimena earlier this month.

Direct Relief’s donation included antibiotics, primary care supplies, and nutritional products for adults and children. Aeromedicos volunteer pilots flew the consignment by private planes to Mulege. The materials will be used by volunteer U.S. doctors and health professionals with Aeromedicos to provide needed medical assistance and nutritional support to patients at the Mulege Clinic and to displaced families living in temporary shelters.

The category-4 hurricane, with peak winds of 150 mph, dropped to category 1 when it reached land, but dumped torrential rains on the region, causing the widespread flooding that drove people to evacuate or remain trapped inside their homes. Village residents reported that floodwaters crested over the roofs of many houses and swept other homes away completely. One resident drowned when his house flooded during the storm.

Direct Relief has supported Aeromedicos’ work in Mexico for several years, including its emergency response to Hurricane John in 2006. Aeromedicos serves vulnerable populations in Mexico who receive little in healthcare services from local or national government systems.