Direct Relief International Offers Medical Assistance For Indonesia Tsunami

SANTA BARBARA, CA (July 17, 2006) In response to a tsunami triggered by a strong undersea earthquake off the coast of Indonesia's Java island on Monday that has killed at least 80 people, Direct Relief International has contacted its local partner networks to advise them of available inventories of medical supplies and offer Direct Relief's disaster response capabilities. Direct Relief is in contact with its corporate partners and is poised to provide medical material assistance if requested.

Direct Relief is prepared to authorize the reallocation of in-country resources to respond to the health needs if they arise. If additional resources are needed, the organization maintains an extensive medical inventory of products for trauma related injuries and will airlift requested items as needed.

The tsunami comes nearly two months after a deadly earthquake in Yogyakarta, Indonesia killed at least 5,000 people. Direct Relief has since provided over $4.5 million of medical material aid including antibiotics, wound dressings, sutures, and surgical instruments, while purchasing two ambulances and providing supplies and equipment for field clinics to Indonesian-based partner organizations.

In the last 19 months, Direct Relief has played a major role in responding to natural disasters that included the Asian tsunami, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and Indonesia and Pakistan earthquakes. In response to the disasters, Direct Relief has provided over $98.5 million worth of medical material assistance and cash grants in the five catastrophic disasters.

Direct Relief has responded to disasters throughout the world for 12 years and has extensive experience in earthquake response. In previous disasters, Direct Relief furnished extensive quantities of trauma-related medical items including surgical instruments, wound dressings, sutures, casting materials, and antibiotics to treat wound infections. Direct Relief is prepared to provide these items and disaster modules, which contain a wide array of basic medicines and supplies.

About Direct Relief International
Founded in 1948, Direct Relief International is a Santa Barbara, CA-based non-profit organization focused on improving the quality of life by bringing critically needed medicines and supplies to local healthcare providers throughout the world. Direct Relief distributed $201 million in direct aid through medical material assistance and targeted cash grants to more than 200 healthcare facilities and organizations in 56 countries serving 23.8 million people. Forbes recognized Direct Relief for the fourth consecutive year as one of only eight non-profit organizations in the United States that is 100 percent efficient in fundraising.