Author Archives: Lara Cooper

Emergency response in Hurricane Ian’s aftermath continues this week, as many health centers and free clinics in Florida work to re-open their doors to patients. Some never closed and were spared damage, others began working in other locations or deploying mobile units. Direct Relief staff met with health centers and free clinics impacted by Hurricane […]

Hurricane Ian’s devastation came into focus Thursday, as images emerged of widespread devastation in Florida communities, including Lee County, which includes Fort Myers and Cape Coral. More than 2.6 million people were without power on Thursday in Florida, and an estimated 1,500 cell sites were down, according to the Federal Communications Commission. The storm made […]

Florida braced for Hurricane Ian as the storm aimed for the state’s western coast, which is expected to land on Wednesday morning. The storm was upgraded to a Category Three with winds of more than 111 miles per hour and is expected to make landfall somewhere between Tampa and Fort Meyers. Of particular concern are […]

Hurricane Ian strengthened to Category Three status on Monday, with wind speeds of more than 111 miles per hour as it moved over western Cuba. The storm is expected to make landfall in Florida on Wednesday, and the storm’s impacts there may be felt as early as Tuesday, with heavy rainfall and high winds preceding […]

Tuesday marked the fifth year since Hurricane Maria wreaked havoc on Puerto Rico. It was also a day that Direct Relief staff spent delivering medical aid across the island in response to Hurricane Fiona, the most recent storm that swept through Sunday causing an island-wide blackout and powerful flooding. About 80 percent of households lacked […]

A 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck western Mexico on Monday, damaging infrastructure and killing at least one person. The quake’s epicenter was located off the coast near the states of Michoacan and Colima, and could be felt as far away as Mexico City, 300 miles east of where the temblor originated. Two other historic earthquakes in the […]

Since breaking out on Friday, the Oak Fire has scorched nearly 17,000 acres in Mariposa County, near Yosemite National Park in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in Northern California. On Saturday, Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for Mariposa County due to the effects of the Oak Fire, which has destroyed at least seven […]

Over the past seven days, Direct Relief delivered 330 shipments of requested medical aid to 48 U.S. states and territories and seven countries worldwide, including Ukraine. The shipments contained 4.3 million defined daily doses of medication, including N-95 masks, mental health medications, antibiotics, chronic disease medications, nutritional products, insulin, and cancer treatments. This week, a […]

Over the past seven days, Direct Relief delivered 511 shipments of requested medical aid to 44 U.S. states and territories and 11 countries worldwide, including Ukraine. The shipments contained 16.6 million defined daily doses of medication, including N-95 masks, mental health medications, antibiotics, chronic disease medications, nutritional products, insulin, and cancer treatments. Ukraine Response to […]

Over the past seven days, Direct Relief delivered 294 shipments of requested medical aid to 31 U.S. states and territories and 11 countries worldwide, including Ukraine. The shipments contained 20.9 million defined daily doses of medication, including PPE, Covid-19 therapies, diabetes medication, and cancer treatments. To Ukraine, Direct Relief shipped medications to be used in […]