Medical Aid Departs for 20 Countries as Storm Response Continues in Hawai‘i, Midwest

Over the past week, Direct Relief has delivered 635 shipments of requested medical aid to 46 U.S. states and territories and 20 countries worldwide. The shipments contained 12.3 million defined daily doses of medication.

Medications and supplies shipped this week included specialty therapies, antibiotics, reproductive health medications, diabetes management supplies, and more.

Direct Relief Support Reaches Communities in Hawai'i, Post-Storm

Severe weather continues to affect parts of Hawai'i following a multi-day Kona storm that brought heavy rain, flooding, and high winds to several islands earlier this week. While conditions have begun to stabilize in some areas, communities are still dealing with storm-related disruptions, including localized flooding and power outages.

Direct Relief is expediting a shipment of personal care items and chronic disease management supplies to the Hawai'i State Department of Health's Maui District Health Office for distribution to communities affected by the storms.

The shipment builds on earlier support provided to local partners across Hawai'i in recent weeks, including community distributions through the Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawai'i to reach those impacted by extreme weather, including displaced and unhoused people.

Direct Relief remains in communication with healthcare providers and local partners across the islands and filling additional requests for medical aid.

Direct Relief has provided more than $6.8 million in medical aid to health organizations in Hawai'i, including more than 1.6 million defined daily doses of medication since 2009.

Emergency Supplies Dispatched to Midwest Health Centers Following Tornado Damage

Earlier this month, an EF-3 tornado struck Kankakee, Illinois, damaging homes and disrupting services in the surrounding community. The storm was part of a broader system that brought severe weather across several Midwestern states, including heavy snow, strong winds, and freezing conditions.

Earlier this week, Direct Relief shipped personal care items to the Community Health Partnership of Illinois in Kankakee for distribution to people displaced by the storms.Twenty field medic packs, filled with medical essentials to equip first responders, are among the supplies being dispatched to HealthLinc Community Health Center in Valparaiso, Indiana, to support response efforts following the recent tornadoes.

Direct Relief continues coordinating with healthcare providers and partner organizations across the region to assess needs following the storms.

Esperanza Health Centers recently hosted a community outreach event at its Brighton Park North Campus in Chicago, connecting local families with food resources, hygiene supplies, and healthcare support services. The event aimed to provide essential items and information to community members while strengthening connections to local health resources.

Direct Relief supported the effort by providing personal care items that were included in 200 distribution bags containing items such as shampoo, toothpaste, and other products. Esperanza Health Centers' Community Engagement team distributed the supplies alongside food assistance, with a goal of reaching more than 300 families during the event.

Patient Benefit Navigators were also on-site to help individuals better understand and access their healthcare coverage and other available services. Direct Relief has provided more than $1 million in medical aid to Esperanza Health Centers since 2015.

Operational Snapshot

UNITED STATES

Direct Relief delivered 575 shipments containing 2.9 million doses of medication this past week to organizations, including the following:

Around the World

Globally, Direct Relief shipped over 9.4 million defined daily doses of medication, totaling 90,295 lbs., to countries including the following:

Year-To-Date

Since January 1, 2026, Direct Relief has delivered 4,937 shipments to 1,499 partner organizations in 53 U.S. states and territories and 54 countries. These shipments contained 76.2 million defined daily doses of medication valued at $406.6 million (wholesale) and totaled 769,111 lbs.

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