Include a byline with the reporter’s name and Direct Relief in the following format: "Author Name, Direct Relief." If attribution in that format is not possible, include the following language at the top of the story: "This story was originally published by Direct Relief."
If publishing online, please link to the original URL of the story.
Maintain any tagline at the bottom of the story.
With Direct Relief's permission, news publications can make changes such as localizing the content for a particular area, using a different headline, or shortening story text. To confirm edits are acceptable, please check with Direct Relief by clicking this link.
If new content is added to the original story — for example, a comment from a local official — a note with language to the effect of the following must be included: "Additional reporting by [reporter and organization]."
If republished stories are shared on social media, Direct Relief appreciates being tagged in the posts:
Twitter (@DirectRelief)
Facebook (@DirectRelief)
Instagram (@DirectRelief)
Republishing Images:
Unless stated otherwise, images shot by Direct Relief may be republished for non-commercial purposes with proper attribution, given the republisher complies with the requirements identified below.
Maintain correct caption information.
Credit the photographer and Direct Relief in the caption. For example: "First and Last Name / Direct Relief."
Do not digitally alter images.
Direct Relief often contracts with freelance photographers who usually, but not always, allow their work to be published by Direct Relief’s media partners. Contact Direct Relief for permission to use images in which Direct Relief is not credited in the caption by clicking here.
Other Requirements:
Do not state or imply that donations to any third-party organization support Direct Relief's work.
Republishers may not sell Direct Relief's content.
Direct Relief's work is prohibited from populating web pages designed to improve rankings on search engines or solely to gain revenue from network-based advertisements.
Advance permission is required to translate Direct Relief's stories into a language different from the original language of publication. To inquire, contact us here.
If Direct Relief requests a change to or removal of republished Direct Relief content from a site or on-air, the republisher must comply.
For any additional questions about republishing Direct Relief content, please email the team here.
Six Months After Hurricane Maria, Recovery Continues in Puerto Rico
Since the storm made landfall in Sept. 2017, Direct Relief has shipped more than $62 million in medical aid to the health centers and hospitals on the island.
This coming week, the world will remember how tragedy struck Puerto Rico six months ago.
Hurricane Maria churned a devastating path through the Caribbean last September.
The Category 4 storm brought sustained winds of 175 miles per hour, destroying homes, mangling power lines and severing communications throughout Puerto Rico.
As images began to emerge, they revealed the destruction left in Maria’s wake, signaling the protracted recovery to come.
A bridge connecting Utuado to outside roads is seen in the bottom right corner of the frame, washed away by recent rains. (Lara Cooper/Direct Relief)
Immediate Response
Direct Relief immediately began assessing the needs of health center partners in Puerto Rico.
Thousands of people had been injured and displaced, and still-functional hospitals and clinics had limited or no power.
Even without power, many health centers continued serving their patients. Some even remained open through the storm, despite the risks, with staff concerned only for their patients’ well-being.
Mobilizing Medical Resources
While there was an increased need for health services, the ability to provide such care was seriously limited. With power scarce and supply lines cut, medical inventories were diminishing rapidly.
Direct Relief began fielding urgent requests for medical supplies, including from the University Pediatric Hospital in San Juan. Doctors there needed a specialized medication to treat children with hemophilia.
Hours before the supply of the drug ran out, Direct Relief staff arrived at the hospital with doses of Factor VIII and IX, drugs that aid clotting in people with hemophilia.
Supply disruptions continued to pose a challenge Puerto Rico’s health systems months into the recovery, and insulin was one of the most needed items. Puerto Rico has the highest rate of diabetes in the U.S., with 14.7 percent of the population diagnosed with the disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Nestled in blue cold storage containers and between cold packs preserving a stable temperature from the humid San Juan air, precious vials of insulin were transported across the city Wednesday. As the transport unfolded, winds whipped up palm trees still ragged from Hurricane Maria’s winds three weeks ago, and a rainstorm earlier in the day brought sheets of water so constant that it was difficult to see.
Direct Relief began shipping insulin to public health agencies in Puerto Rico that could store the medicines inside generator-powered refrigerators. The insulin delivered by Direct Relief was distributed to patients through local health center staff, including some who carried insulin supplies to people stranded in their homes.
By Air, Medicine and Supplies Reach the Island
Medicines bound for the island of Vieques, about 10 miles east of Puerto Rico, are loaded into a helicopter on Dec. 19. The medicines were part of a larger 40-ton shipment bound for more than 20 health centers and hospitals across Puerto Rico. (Photo by Donnie Hedden for Direct Relief)
As soon as supply channels started opening, Direct Relief began mobilizing large infusions of medical aid.
This involved several major humanitarian airlifts, including a chartered DC-11 plane that transported 76 tons of medicine and medical supplies in October 2017.
Days before Christmas, a second airlift brought 40 tons of medicines, worth $20.6 million in value, to healthcare facilities caring for the island’s most vulnerable.
While Direct Relief was coordinating large-scale deliveries of medicine and supplies to Puerto Rico, local medical personnel were also equipped with Emergency Health Kits.
The kits, which were built for rapid deployment, contained essential emergency medicines and supplies most needed in emergency situations. Dozens of medical teams fanned out across the island to provide care in high-need areas.
Over the past six months, Direct Relief has continued to support local health centers and hospitals, providing more than $62.6 million in requested medication and supplies.
This assistance totals 226.8 tons and 8.1 million defined daily doses of medication. Through 265 emergency shipments, this medical aid went to 60 healthcare facilities in Puerto Rico.
Long-Term Response
Major emergencies often require substantial repairs to infrastructure, and this need is particularly acute within the health sector.
Six months later, as thousands of people remain without power and other basic services, the recovery is far from over. And Direct Relief continues to respond, supporting health centers and communities as they repair the damage caused by Hurricane Maria and rebuild in a way that withstands future hurricanes.
To help sustain and bolster local health and safety-net providers in Puerto Rico, Direct Relief is working to identify, vet and support locally-run organizations with cash grants.
Most recently, Direct Relief sponsored a sweeping vaccination campaign in Puerto Rico, where more than 9,400 people received flu shots across the island. The event was made possible through financial support to the Puerto Rico Coalition of Vaccination and Prevention, known as VOCES. The vaccines, donated by Sanofi, were used to immunize people in more than 50 locations across the island.
The massive vaccination campaign was a priority of Puerto Rico’s Department of Health, since vaccinations had waned in the weeks following Hurricane Maria.
Looking Forward
Hurricane Maria devastated countless lives and communities across the island, revealing high rates of poverty and inequality that existed long before the storm ever hit shore.
It demonstrated something else, too – that even a hurricane as powerful as Maria can’t fade Puerto Rico’s beauty and the resilience of its people, who’ve worked tirelessly these past months, often without power, to rebuild their island.
Giving is Good Medicine
You don't have to donate. That's why it's so extraordinary if you do.
