Today I met Celestina, Nkwimba, Speciosa, and many other incredibly brave women who have found their way to the fistula ward at Bugando Medical Centre in Tanzania. Their stories are different but revolve around the same theme: prolonged and obstructed labor, often in a village in absence of a trained birth attendant. When no baby is delivered after many long
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Nearly a year after massive and powerful Cyclone Sidr battered Bangladesh’s southern coast, Direct Relief continues to help with recovery. The size of Iowa, Bangladesh is home to more than 153 million people, nearly half of whom live on less than $1 per day and have extremely limited resources. Thanks to generous donations received on behalf of cyclone victims, Direct
Read more →Three years ago, a devastating earthquake shook northern Pakistan, leaving thousands to cope with dramatic, life-changing injuries. As the country has made the difficult journey from emergency response to reconstruction, Direct Relief has provided more than $14 million in assistance to local partners rebuilding the healthcare infrastructure and helping the injured recover. In particular, a rehabilitation center in Besham, in the Northwest Frontier Province, provides
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In response to four major storms and massive flooding that have deluged Haiti and displaced more than 110,000 people, Direct Relief International has airlifted more than $1.6 million (wholesale) of medical material aid to on-the-ground partners and is staging an additional $737,000 of medical inventories for transport next week. FedEx has provided air transport free of charge. With food and
Read more →Widespread flooding in India and Nepal has displaced millions; Direct Relief International is sending more than $1 million in medical material aid to help vulnerable populations living in temporary shelters. The shipments of critical aid—antibiotics, analgesics, wound-care supplies, and more— are being delivered to two longtime Direct Relief partners who have effectively responded to previous emergencies, including the 2004 Indian
Read more →As health crises mount in Texas and Louisiana following Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, Direct Relief International has sent additional medical aid to partners in the region. These latest shipments bring the total value of hurricane emergency aid in the Gulf States to more than $1.1 million. In Texas and Louisiana, more than 20,000 evacuees remain in shelters, as debris clogs
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