- To help Ukrainian refugees in Poland meet medical costs, Direct Relief is providing $10 million in direct cash assistance to cover prescription costs at 8,000 Polish pharmacies.
- As the Ukraine war enters its 51st day, Direct Relief continues providing a variety of needed aid, from insulin and PPE to a medicine that can be used during chemical attacks.
- An incident at a Puerto Rico power plant plunged the island into darkness. Direct Relief-funded solar projects kept health centers, fire stations, and water pumps operational throughout the blackout.
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Medicine Costs for Ukrainian Refugees Covered by New Aid Program
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The situation: Ukrainian refugees fleeing to Poland, many of whom have no means to pay for much-needed prescriptions, will receive medical care in the neighboring country. But prescription costs still serve as a barrier to access.
The response: Direct Relief, working with the Polish health care company Pelion S.A., is investing $10 million in a direct cash assistance initiative enabling Ukrainian refugees in Poland to obtain prescription medications at no cost.
“The initial funding of $10 million comes from contributions by thousands of individuals deeply concerned about the welfare of Ukrainians who have had their lives upended and threatened. This approach connects that amazing generosity in a practical, important way to the Ukrainian people for whose benefit Direct Relief received the funds,” said Direct Relief President and CEO Thomas Tighe.
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The program was announced today at an event in Warsaw, Poland, with Direct Relief, Pelion, and the Ukrainian and US Ambassadors to Poland in attendance.
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The impact: Direct Relief and Pelion hope to quickly expand the program to cover 400,000 Ukrainian refugees in Poland, including 100,000 older adults and 300,000 women and children.
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As Ukraine’s War Continues, Medical Aid Flow Increases
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The situation: The war in Ukraine continues to create shortages of vital drugs like insulin, cancer medications, and levothyroxine – a thyroid medication vital to many Ukrainians affected by Chornobyl – and increase the need for medical aid such as PPE, wound care, antibiotics, and even an antidote to chemical weapons.
The response: At the request of Ukraine’s Ministry of Health, Direct Relief has provided a wide range of medical aid, including insulin, levothyroxine, and other necessary medicines and supplies.
The impact: More than 250 tons of medical supplies have been distributed to health facilities serving Ukrainians displaced or affected by the ongoing war.
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Resiliency Projects Successfully Withstand Puerto Rico’s Energy Emergency
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The situation: A fire at a major Puerto Rico power plant left hundreds of thousands of people in the dark last week. The island-wide blackout was a reminder of the widespread damage Hurricane Maria caused to Puerto Rico’s electrical grid in 2017.
The response: After Hurricane Maria, Direct Relief undertook a series of projects designed to increase energy resiliency in Puerto Rico. Thus far, the organization has funded solar projects for a total of 16 health centers – eight of them complete – two fire stations, and 25 remote communities dependent on electrical pumps for running water.
The impact: All but one community retained access to clean running water during the recent outage, and the fire stations and health centers with completed solar projects were able to continue operations.
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The United States
- Over the past two weeks, Direct Relief sent 642 shipments of medical aid to 458 healthcare partners in 44 US states and territories, totaling $11.7 million in value and more than 23,760 pounds.
- More than $873,000 was granted during the same period.
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Around the World
- Direct Relief has sent 56 shipments to 37 recipients in 23 countries over the past two weeks. The shipments totaled $115 million in value and 1 million pounds.
- During the same period, $11.2 million was granted.
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The Wall Street Journal: Ukraine’s Health Ministry Orders Antidote to Chemical Weapon – “The humanitarian organization Direct Relief said it has fulfilled a request from Ukraine’s Ministry of Health for some 220,000 vials of a drug that can be used to mitigate the effects of a chemical weapon. The drug, called atropine, can raise heart rates and help reduce mucus secretions in a person’s lungs or airway. It can halt the effects of poisoning from certain nerve agents if deployed quickly enough. Direct Relief previously distributed the drug to Syrian medical workers after they came under attack in 2017 from the nerve gas sarin and other chemical agents.
ReliefWeb: Medical Aid Arrives in Moldova from Direct Relief – “More than 380,000 Ukrainians have crossed the border into Moldova since Russia’s invasion. Most have moved to other countries after arrival, but at least 100,000 remain in the country of 2.6 million people. Moldova shares eight official border crossing stations with Ukraine, according to data from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.”
CNN: Breathtaking prints by National Geographic photographers on sale in aid of Ukraine – “Vital Impacts has partnered with National Geographic photographers to sell their work, with 100% of profits going to Direct Relief, a humanitarian organization currently working in Ukraine to provide medical aid to people affected by the war.”
Orion Magazine: Prints for Peace: 8 Awe-Inspiring Images from Around the World – “100% of the profits will be donated to Direct Relief, an organization working around the clock to provide humanitarian assistance to people affected by war and other crises.”
KSBY: Santa Barbara Co. Firefighters donate fire equipment to Ukraine – Santa Barbara County fire agencies are helping deliver equipment for firefighters in Ukraine. Firefighters donated old turnout gear, urban search and rescue gear, medical supplies, ropes, helmets and gear bagsThe effort was organized by local off-duty firefighters in support of Project Joint Guardian. As of Wednesday, the donations were being packed on pallets and weighed. Later this week, Direct Relief will receive the pallets and ship them to Ukraine.
PC Invasion: Epic Games and Fortnite raised over $144 million in charity for Ukraine – “Epic Games committed all Fortnite profits from March 20 to April 3 to humanitarian relief efforts, focusing its income to help the people of Ukraine.”
Vogue: Impact Now • A Print Sale by Vital Impacts – “100% of the profits will be donated to Direct Relief who will allocate these funds to the regions in the world in most need of humanitarian aid.”
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