SANTA BARBARA, Calif.,
April 26, 2015
/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As the massive damage, tragic
loss of life, and widespread injuries from today's
magnitude 7.8 earthquake in Nepal
comes into focus, Direct Relief has made an initial cash
commitment of $50,000 for the
immediate deployment of emergency medical response personnel and
essential health commodities. Direct Relief has also made available
its entire current medical supply inventory, valued at $100 million, for the response.
Upon learning of the devastating quake, Direct Relief
contacted and offered assistance to several Nepal-based hospitals, delivery centers,
midwifery programs, and other health-service
delivery organizations, as well as partner organizations
in India that are responding to
the emergency. Included among them is Doctors for You, a
highly regarded Indian organization deploying a medical team Monday
local time.
"In Kathmandu Valley, hospitals are overcrowded, running out of
room for storing dead bodies and also running short of emergency
supplies," the United Nations stated today in
its situation report on the emergency. "There are reports
that the hospital stocks are depleting/used up and there is a need
for a government decision on bringing kits from the military."
The UN report also noted most people are staying outside
for fear of aftershocks.
As Direct Relief responds to the tragedy, it will do so in close
collaboration with local groups and the government in
Nepal, which have requested
international assistance. Direct Relief will also continue to work
with other international organizations involved in the emergency
response.
The Need for Medical Resources
Direct Relief is working with many of the world's
leading healthcare companies, who have provided much
of the inventory made available today. Direct Relief
will continue to collaborate with these industry
partners to provide additional resources as needed. This may
include materials for bone fractures, wound-care supplies,
antibiotics, oral rehydration solutions, antidiarrheals, vitamins
and nutritional supplement--each of which proved critical following
disasters including the 2005 quake in northern Pakistan,
which claimed 80,000 lives, and the massive 2010 earthquake
in Haiti.
Anticipating Logistical Challenges
In this effort, Direct Relief draws on its experience
aiding in the aftermath of a 2008 quake in Kashmir. Like then,
this crisis will be characterized by the hugely complex logistical
challenge of responding to the unfolding emergency in both cities
and remote mountainous rural villages. The emergency response will
be centralized in severely affected urban centers, and
decentralized in remote and inaccessible rural villages.
The emergency response in Nepal
will be particularly complex given the high altitude and
mountainous terrain, the landslide damage to road infrastructure,
the lack of landing access for fixed-wing and rotary wing
aircraft in remote areas, the damage to communication lines, and
the distances between affected communities.
Coordinating with Local Responders
Recognizing this complexity, Direct Relief has
reached out to the local organizations best positioned to
understand local needs and inform external assistance. Such
groups include Doctors for You, Himalayan Health Care, One Heart World Wide, Patan Hospital, Possible
Health, and Rescue Network Nepal.
Direct Relief's initial commitment of $50,000 is from its general funds,
and not dependent on whether the organization
receives contributions designated for this particular event.
Moreover, consistent with the obligation to honor donors'
intentions, 100% of any and all contributions designated for
Nepal by donors will be used
exclusively for this purpose, not for the organization's
general support or other program activities.
About Direct Relief
Direct Relief is a medical relief organization, active in all 50
states and in 70 countries, and is the only U.S. nonprofit to
obtain Verified Accredited Wholesale Distributor (VAWD) ©
accreditation by the National Association of Boards of
Pharmacy. The organization has been among the world's largest
medical suppliers to West Africa in response to the Ebola
epidemic, to the Philippines following Typhoon Haiyan,
and to Haiti after the 2010 earthquake. Direct Relief has
top charity ratings, including four-stars from Charity Navigator
and a 100% fundraising efficiency rating from Forbes magazine.
Among other distinctions, Direct Relief received the 2014 CECP
Directors' Award, the President's Award from Esri for excellence in
GIS mapping, and the Peter F. Drucker Award for Nonprofit
Innovation. For more information
visit http://www.DirectRelief.org.
CONTACT:
Tony
Morain, (805) 879-4975
TMorain@directrelief.org
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SOURCE Direct Relief