Direct Relief has contacted several partners today to offer medical material aid in response to the 7.2-magnitude earthquake that struck this afternoon in Baja California, Mexico.

Early this evening, Direct Relief reached out to partners in Southern California, including Mountain Health & Community Services and the Council of Community Clinics in San Diego County to offer assistance as needed.

Direct Relief has a long history of responding to emergencies in California as well as internationally. In preparation for a major emergency, Direct Relief has been asked to lead the Medical Health Section of California’s Business Utilities Operations Center (BUOC), a public-private partnership created by the California Emergency Management Agency to establish a channel for private assistance should needs exceed the state’s ability to respond to a large-scale emergency.

Initial news reports indicate that there are no fatalities from the earthquake, though it was felt as far away as Los Angeles and Ventura Counties in California, as well as Arizona.

Direct Relief will continue to monitor the situation and respond to partners’ needs for medical material assistance as they are identified.