Direct Relief Monitoring Hurricane Dean, Taking Measures to Respond to Potential Emergencies
SANTA BARBARA, CA (August 18, 2007)Â Direct Relief is closely monitoring Hurricane Dean, currently a Category 5 hurricane, and has taken proactive measures in both Jamaica and the U.S. Gulf Coast to respond to any potential emergencies.
In Jamaica, Direct Relief has contacted its partners in the field to assure them that they will have the organization’s material and financial support for whatever emergency response efforts may need to be undertaken. Weather forecasters expect Dean to hit Jamaica on Sunday afternoon with 160 mile-an-hour winds and 20 inches of rain, which could wreak considerable damage.
In the Gulf Coast, Direct Relief already has Hurricane Response Packs pre-positioned with sixteen clinics in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, and assisted in emergency planning as part of its earlier preparation for the hurricane season. The contents of these packs reflect past emergency response experience, the size of the clinic patient populations, and each clinic's capacity to treat victims during a disaster. Each pack contains enough supplies to treat 100 patients suffering from a wide range of trauma situations for a 72-hour period.
About Direct Relief International
Founded in 1948, Direct Relief International is a Santa Barbara, California-based nonprofit organization focused on improving the quality of life by bringing critically needed medicines and supplies to local healthcare providers worldwide. In 2006, Direct Relief provided over $200 million in direct aid through medical material assistance and targeted cash grants to more than 300 healthcare facilities and organizations in 56 countries, providing 23.8 million courses of treatment. Direct Relief is one of two charities ranked by Forbes that has received a perfect fundraising efficiency score for five consecutive years.
###