×

News publications and other organizations are encouraged to reuse Direct Relief-published content for free under a Creative Commons License (Attribution-Non-Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 International), given the republisher complies with the requirements identified below.

When republishing:

  • 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.

Southern California Braces for Peak Fire Risk as Santa Ana Winds Arrive

Direct Relief's Humanitarian Activity for the week of 10/09/2026 - 10/15/2026

News

Operational Update

Santa Ana winds have put areas of California under red flag warnings for the coming days, with elevated fire risk a concern.
Santa Ana winds have put areas of California under red flag warnings for the coming days, with elevated fire risk a concern. (Adobe Stock image)

Over the past week, Direct Relief sent 344 shipments of requested medical aid, containing 6.4 million defined daily doses of medication, to organizations across 39 U.S. states and territories and 18 other countries.

Shipments sent this week included rare disease medications, HPV vaccines, cancer therapies, diabetes treatments, antibiotics, and Direct Relief Midwife Kits.

Direct Relief Monitoring Red Flag Conditions in California

Southern California is bracing for the season’s first major Santa Ana wind event, with red flag warnings in effect across much of the Los Angeles area Thursday and Friday. Forecasters expect winds to gust as high as 70 mph in the mountains, with lower-lying valleys seeing gusts in the 40 to 60 mph range. The western side of the region, which missed out on recent rainfall from a tropical storm, is especially vulnerable, while utilities are weighing rolling power shutoffs, particularly around Malibu, to prevent damaged lines from sparking new fires.

A brush fire dubbed the Peak Fire broke out Thursday in Azusa, north of San Gabriel Canyon Road. Direct Relief is monitoring the fire as conditions develop.

Based in California, Direct Relief has a long history of responding to wildfires across the state, including the devastating Los Angeles-area fires in January 2025. The organization maintains a stockpile of critical medications and supplies often requested during wildfires, including respiratory health medications, N95 respirators, chronic disease management medications, and personal protective equipment, to address health needs such as worsened respiratory and cardiovascular conditions from smoke exposure and medication access issues during evacuations.

Direct Relief is monitoring the conditions and will respond if any medical needs become known.

17-Pallet Shipment Supports Healthcare Network in Syria

Pallets of medicines and medical supplies are moved through Direct Relief’s warehouse, bound for the Independent Doctors Association in Turkey.
Pallets of medicines and medical supplies are moved through Direct Relief’s warehouse, bound for the Independent Doctors Association in Turkey. (Tori Gordon/Direct Relief)

A 17-pallet shipment containing nearly $2 million in medicines and medical supplies has been sent to the Independent Doctors Association, or IDA, a humanitarian medical organization based in Gaziantep, Turkey, that supports healthcare delivery across Syria. The shipment includes medicine and supplies that address a broad range of needs, from infectious disease treatment and oncology to cardiovascular care, anesthesia, chronic disease management, and reproductive health.

IDA operates 52 healthcare facilities and service sites, including hospitals, primary healthcare centers, mobile clinics, vaccination centers, and specialized facilities such as cholera treatment centers and a tuberculosis treatment center, serving communities where displacement, damaged infrastructure, and prolonged instability have made access to healthcare especially difficult.

“A hospital, a mobile clinic, or a primary healthcare center can be the difference between someone receiving timely treatment and having nowhere to turn,” said Laila Mizrahi, Direct Relief’s Program Officer for the Middle East & North Africa.

Operational Snapshot

United States

Direct Relief sent 298 shipments weighing 21,167 pounds and containing 468,704 defined daily doses of medication.

  • The Agape Clinic, Texas
  • Rural Health Medical Program Inc., Alabama
  • St. Vincent De Paul Clinic, Arizona
  • Mission Arlington Medical Clinic, Texas
  • Catherine’s Health Center, Michigan
  • ODA Primary Care Health Center, New York
  • Community Care Clinic of Franklin, North Carolina
  • Healing Word Counseling Center, Tennessee
  • Bethesda Health Clinic, Texas
  • Welvista, South Carolina

Around the World

Outside the U.S., Direct Relief sent 5.9 million defined daily doses of medication, weighing 38,876 pounds.

  • Chad
  • Ukraine
  • Mexico
  • Cameroon
  • Uganda
  • Syria
  • India
  • Guatemala
  • Venezuela
  • Ethiopia

In the News

Direct Relief Invests in Community Birth Centers to Improve Maternal and Newborn Health – Angels in Medicine

PAHO delivers critical supplies to strengthen emergency care in communities affected by the earthquake in Panama – PAHO/WHO | Pan American Health Organization

Supporting Safe Childbirth in Lebanon’s Palestinian Communities – Anera

Growing Up in Wartime Ukraine With a Rare Condition – Angels in Medicine

Giving is Good Medicine

You don't have to donate. That's why it's so extraordinary if you do.

Hear From Direct Relief

Get stories, emergency updates, and humanitarian impact delivered to your inbox.