Direct Relief

Direct Relief is thrilled to welcome Amy Weaver as its next CEO. Amy’s career has been all about scaling impact and leading with purpose. Now, she’s joining Direct Relief to help advance its humanitarian mission even further. She officially starts on May 5, and we are so excited for what’s ahead. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/edzyrrrK

After more than a decade of conflict, Yemen faces one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises—where the breakdown of health systems has had especially dire consequences for women and girls. A woman dies in childbirth every two hours, and 5.5 million lack access to essential maternal care. Widespread poverty has also fueled child marriage, leading to early pregnancies and life-threatening complications. To address these urgent needs, Direct Relief is working with local healthcare partners MedGlobal Yemen, and Yemen Aid to strengthen access to women’s health services across the country. With support from Direct Relief, MedGlobal is training midwives to run community clinics in remote areas, while the Pink Clinic, founded by Yemen Aid, is expanding access to breast cancer care. Direct Relief is helping expand access to care for women and girls in Yemen by supporting local health partners and delivering essential supplies and funding—including over $100,000 in grants, 20 midwife kits for 50 clinics, and $1.77 million worth of cancer medication delivered to the Ministry of Health. Read the full story at the link: https://bit.ly/4c0Of5W

Cancer therapies and other medical support arrived in Yemen recently to support health services in the country. Direct Relief coordinated the shipment with Yemen Aid, a nonprofit focused on supporting Yemen’s health sector across the country, which includes medical aid distribution to local health facilities, operation of a breast cancer diagnosis center, ambulance services program, and more. The shipment included medications for the treatment of breast cancer. Direct Relief has supported Yemen Aid with $3.9 million worth of medical support since 2021. (Photo courtesy of Yemen Aid)

Over the past week, Direct Relief has delivered 682 shipments of requested medical aid to 46 U.S. states and territories and 12 countries worldwide. The shipments contained 3.5 million defined daily doses of medication. Medications and supplies shipped this week included diabetes management medications, power generators, surgical supplies, rare disease therapies, and more. https://lnkd.in/ek86bGVA

Opening day of #India2047 here in New Delhi launched into both the crisis and the hope of #India's current positioning in the climate crisis. On the one hand, as Prof. Dan Schrag pointed out, global emissions scenarios are such that avoidance of some of the worst effects of mean temperature increases is becoming very hard to envision. Mitigation efforts remain crucial but are far behind the pace needed to meet IPCC targets. Meanwhile greenhouse gasses already in the atmosphere will continue to increase temperatures even in the absence of immediate action; attribution research is increasingly making clear that catastrophic effects on heat, drought, flooding, and disease occur well before we get past the 1.5C range into what looks likelier to be more in the 2.5 - 3C range by end of century. In the face of this crisis, India is leading the way on the pace and creativity of adaptation measures, and potentially taking up intellectual and policy space in global institutions and leadership which is being vacated right now by the United States. Reema Nanavaty from the Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA) spoke eloquently to the need to focus on the informal economic sectors and women in particular as the forefront of both creative climate adaptation and grassroots leadership. Tarun Khanna from the The Lakshmi Mittal and Family South Asia Institute, Harvard University spoke to the flowering of climate tech entrepreneurship across the subcontinent, and the under-appreciated significance of the Indian national tech stack which is producing enormous amounts of data crucial to rewiring economies and decarbonizing systems. Rahul Mehrotra from the Harvard Graduate School of Design made a compelling plea to understand the climate crisis as one affecting urban form in totality, and for the need not only for small scale incremental changes but for reimagining how we dwell in and construct cities. No one should be sanguine about the magnitude of this crisis, and it's dire implications for human health, disaster shocks, economics, infrastructure - but we have the tools, ideas, and energy to meet this moment, if we are able to listen carefully to these sorts of voices and act decisively in the coming years. Direct Relief

Nearly 20% of California’s healthcare systems are dangerously close to wildfire zones, according to new research co-authored by Direct Relief’s Vice President of Research and Analysis, Andrew Schroeder. The study, titled “Proximity of Wildfires to Inpatient Healthcare Facilities in California, 2001-2023,” reveals that hospitals, acute care centers, and especially nursing homes are increasingly at risk as wildfires become a year-round threat. The findings underscore gaps in disaster preparedness and facility-placement guidelines, highlighting the need for stronger policies and improved communication strategies. Additional studies by the team also show medically underserved populations are especially vulnerable during wildfire-related power outages and often hesitate to evacuate without clear, direct guidance. Direct Relief continues to support healthcare providers by delivering essential resources during emergencies and advocating for improved disaster preparedness to protect vulnerable patients. Read at the full story at link here: https://bit.ly/4kKNdiI

Over this past weekend, a destructive storm system tore through the central and southern U.S., leaving widespread damage. Nearly 100 tornadoes, fast-moving wildfires, and intense dust storms swept through communities, resulting in at least 40 fatalities and displacing thousands. Another storm system is expected to arrive by midweek, bringing critical fire conditions, high winds, and more extreme weather in areas still recovering. Direct Relief is responding by working with its network of local healthcare partner organizations to assess urgent needs and provide critical support. This week, Direct Relief is delivering urgently requested supplies to 1st Choice Healthcare, a community health center with multiple clinics located in northeast Arkansas. This shipment includes soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, and other personal care products often requested by those displaced from their homes during disasters. Direct Relief will continue responding to needs as they become known. Read the full story at the link here: https://bit.ly/3DSmAaT

It is the goal of Northwest Native American Center of Excellence at OHSU to sustainably address the health care needs of all people by increasing the number of American Indians and Alaska Natives in the health professions workforce, and a recent grant from Direct Relief helps make that vision possible. Direct Relief recently gave $100,000 from the Fund for Health Equity to help launch the?Tilikum Summer Health Experience, a?free 5-week hybrid summer enrichment program specifically designed for American Indian/Alaska Native freshman and sophomore college students. Students will receive academic training, mentorship, and hands-on exposure to the health professions, all while staying connected to their cultural identity. Read the full announcement: https://lnkd.in/gJjrQzGS

Health providers in Nigeria recently received advanced training on maternal and neonatal care, as well as supplies to facilitate safe births. Nineteen health professionals at St. Charles Hospital and Maternity Ward in Adoka, Nigeria, completed a training conducted by the U-VOL Foundation, which supports the ongoing education of healthcare workers, particularly in rural settings. Nigeria has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world, according to the World Health Organization. The recent trainings included hands-on sessions focused on advanced maternal and neonatal care. From neonatal resuscitation to managing obstetric emergencies and introducing necessary supplies to ensure safe deliveries, the event strengthened the skills of midwives, nurses, community health workers, and doctors to improve birth outcomes and save lives. Direct Relief supported the trainings by donating Direct Relief midwife kits, each designed to support up to 50 facility-based births. This shipment will equip local providers with the essential tools needed for safe and high-quality maternal care. In total, nine full kits and one resupply kit were sent—enough to support 500 safe deliveries. (Photos by U-VOL Foundation)

It was an honor to attend the Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) Global Forum in Barbados last week, along with our Board Member Rev. Jenny Phillips, Director of Environmental Sustainability at General Board of Global Ministries / United Methodist Committee on Relief (#UMCOR), and our partners in resilient health, Sara Rossi and Luis David Rodriguez at Direct Relief! We also toured the new Caribbean Regional Logistics Hub where we are excited to partner with the World Food Programme and Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) on staging sustainable response technologies for Caribbean disaster relief. Grateful to have so many incredible leaders from around the world dedicated to sustainable energy for all! #SE4All