More than a month has passed since Hurricane Matthew roared through the Caribbean and the U.S., devastating entire communities. The full extent of the damage is becoming clear, even as headlines dwindle about the storm’s staggering human impact.

More than 1 million people in Haiti are still in need due to the hurricane, and disease remains rampant, with almost 4,000 cholera cases reported since Oct. 4.

Direct Relief was quick to respond to healthcare partners after the storm and will continue to do so through the recovery.

Financial Summary

Direct Relief received more than 3,000 Hurricane Matthew-designated financial contributions totaling $827,962; including pledges, the total increases to $1,071,266.

Direct Relief recognizes that the generous supporters who pledged and gave more than $1 million in response to Hurricane Matthew did so with the express intent that their contributions benefit people affected by the storm.

In accepting funds for Hurricane Matthew, Direct Relief understands that both those who contributed — and the people for whose benefit the contributions were made — deserve to know, in detail, how Direct Relief is using these funds.

*Direct Relief does not rely on government funding.

The Response

As the world’s attention shifts, Direct Relief remains committed to supporting the needs of local healthcare providers in Haiti and the U.S.

United States

Direct Relief shipped $1.3 million worth of supplies to impacted communities in the U.S. after Matthew. Five tons of medicines and medical supplies were sent in 29 different shipments.

Before the storm made landfall, Direct Relief had prepositioned emergency medical modules in the hurricane’s path. Two were opened after the storm, one at the Roanoke Chowan Community Health Center in North Carolina, and another at the Franklin C. Fetter Health Care Network in South Carolina.

Each U.S.–bound pack contains enough medicines and supplies to treat 100 patients for three to five days after a hurricane hits.

Haiti

Roadways and bridges were washed away by the storm, and some of the hardest-hit communities in the southwestern part of the country also proved the most difficult to access. In the following weeks, Direct Relief used any means possible to transport aid, including by helicopters and ships.

Since Oct. 4, Direct Relief delivered $10 million worth of medicines and medical supplies to Haiti – nearly 20 tons. That included more than half a million daily doses of medication.

Material Support

Below is a list of companies that contributed medical resources to the response.

3M Abbott AbbVie Actavis Pharma, Inc. Alcon Laboratories, Inc. Apotex Baxter International Inc. Bayer BD Belmora LLC Boehringer Ingelheim Cares Bristol-Myers Squibb Cera Products, Inc. Colgate Oral Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Covidien CVS Corporation – Corporate HQ Eli Lilly & Company Ethicon, Inc. GSK Heart to Heart International Henry Schein, Inc.

Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companie Magno-Humphries Labs, Inc. McKesson Medical-Surgical Medtronic Merck & Co., Inc. Mpowerd Omron Healthcare, Inc. P&G Pfizer, Inc. Purdue Pharma, L.P. Sanofi Foundation for North America Sappo Hill Soapworks Soapbox Sundial Brands Teva Pharmaceuticals Tifie Humanitarian Unilever US Inc. We Care Solar Wisconsin Pharmacals

Looking Forward

Cholera persists as a life-threatening force in the country, and Direct Relief will continue to supply partners with supplies to treat this preventable, but deadly, disease. Direct Relief is continuing to deliver shipments of oral rehydration salts, IV equipment and other needed supplies.

The next delivery is scheduled to arrive in the coming days with more than 500,000 water purification sachets. Each sachet can clean 10 liters of drinking water. In total, the shipment will result in nearly 1.5 million gallons of safe drinking water.

The shipment will also contain oral rehydration salts, which can be mixed with the purified water to restore the electrolytes of a dehydrated person.