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One Year into Ukraine Response, 120 Tons of Aid for Turkey-Syria Earthquake, and More

Direct Relief's Humanitarian Activity for the week of 02/17/2023 - 02/24/2023

News

Operational Update

The Kharkiv Renovation Fund delivers Direct Relief-provided medicines to healthcare providers on Dec. 6, 2022. (Courtesy photo)

Over the past seven days, Direct Relief has delivered 168 shipments of requested medical aid to 35 U.S. states and territories and seven countries worldwide.

The shipments contained 30 million defined daily doses of medication, including insulin, antibiotics, emergency medical backpacks, family hygiene kits, trauma response supplies, and more.

One Year into Ukraine Response

Seventy-six tons of medical aid are loaded into a 777 charter plane at FedEx’s distribution center in Memphis, Tennessee, on March 26, 2022, bound for Ukraine. (Lara Cooper/Direct Relief)

Today marks the one-year mark of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Since Feb. 24, 2022, Direct Relief has delivered more than 2.4 million lbs. – over 1,200 tons – of medicine and medical supplies to Ukraine, averaging a delivery every other day for the past 350 or so days. Each item delivered was requested and approved prior to it being sent.

The medical material provided has included 235 million defined daily doses of prescription medications and therapies for a broad range of common conditions and also specialized care, such as for cancers. Huge quantities of medical supplies ranging from battlefield tourniquets and body bags to prenatal vitamins also have been furnished.

Direct Relief also has committed $30.8 million in financial support to local healthcare organizations providing care in Ukraine and others in countries, including Poland and Slovakia, that have opened their doors to Ukrainian refugees.

The full report can be accessed here.

More SHIPMENTS arrive in TURKEY

Emergency shipments arrive in Adana, Turkey, this week. (Courtesy photo)

The death toll from the quakes has risen to 43,000 across Turkey and Syria, with dozens of health facilities damaged or destroyed. Direct Relief has focused on medical aid to strengthen the health system, as well as financial aid to local groups to support medical care and search and rescue efforts.

An 89-pallet shipment arrived in Adana, Turkey, containing chronic disease medications, trauma supplies, mental health therapies, oral rehydration salts, prenatal vitamins, and protective gear, which were specifically requested by Turkey’s Ministry of Health and will be used to support the country’s health system as it treats people impacted by deadly earthquakes.

Since the initial earthquake on Feb. 6, Direct Relief has shipped or has en route 108 tons of medical aid to Turkey and 20 tons to Syria. The organization has also provided $2.52 million in cash assistance to local organizations responding to medical needs in the region.

High Water Rescue Vehicle Donated

A high-water rescue vehicle donated by Direct Relief for the California Office of Emergency Services (CalOES), which is responsible for SAR units in Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo Counties, was unveiled on Feb. 21, 2023. This vehicle will be a shared resource among the three units. (Tony Morain/Direct Relief)

A Direct Relief-donated high-water rescue vehicle was unveiled this week by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department, which will house the vehicle for deployment. The truck can move through water up to 48 inches deep and will be a shared resource for rescues in San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties.

The purchase was made in response to increasingly frequent and intense climate-related disasters are stretching first responder agencies, especially regional search and rescue (SAR) teams. Statewide in California, approximately 7,500 certified SAR personnel serve as unpaid volunteers and purchase their own equipment and gear.

In 2021, Direct Relief also helped fund a replacement rescue vehicle for Santa Barbara County Search and Rescue and also purchased vehicles and equipment for several first responder agencies, including UTVs, and specialized rescue gear after the Montecito Debris Flow in Santa Barbara County.

OPERATIONAL SNAPSHOT

WORLDWIDE

This week, Direct Relief shipped 29.8 million defined daily doses of medication outside the U.S.

Countries that received medical aid over the past week included:

  • Ukraine
  • Turkey
  • Pakistan
  • Syria
  • India
  • Dominican Republic
  • Sri Lanka

UNITED STATES

Direct Relief delivered 146 shipments containing 9,458 doses of medications over the past week to organizations, including the following:

  • Cal OES Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, California
  • Mission Arlington Medical Clinic, Texas
  • MERCI Clinic, North Carolina
  • The Night Ministry, Illinois
  • Hannibal Free Clinic, Missouri
  • Washington State Department of Health, Washington
  • The Chris Atwood Foundation, Virginia
  • Talbert House Health Center dba Centerpoint Health, Ohio
  • Wellness Pointe, Texas

YEAR-TO-DATE (GLOBAL)

Since Jan. 1, 2023, Direct Relief has delivered 2,074 shipments to 968 healthcare providers in 51 U.S. states and territories and 43 countries.

These shipments contained 102.4 million defined daily doses of medication valued at $243.9 million (wholesale), totaling 1.1 million lbs.

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