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In the first week after the Typhoon Haiyan devastated the Philippines, AmeriCares has shipped $1.4 million in aid to help meet the immediate needs of survivors. A new shipment of $1 million in crucial medical aid left our U.S. warehouse on November 15, along with a second air shipment from our warehouse in Amsterdam.
AmeriCares aid has already reached some of the hardest-hit areas, including the city of Tacloban, and our relief team has supplied a military hospital in Cebu with aid for evacuees from Leyte and the island of Samar, where the typhoon made its catastrophic landfall.
The new aid shipments include urgently requested antibiotics, wound care supplies, chronic disease medicines, personal care and other relief items, including blankets.
"The shipments will help address widespread shortages of medicine and ensure medical professionals are equipped to treat survivors in the most devastated areas," said AmeriCares Vice President of Emergency Response Garrett Ingoglia. "It will take months, even years, for the hardest hit areas to recover. These aid deliveries are just the beginning of our long-term response."
The suffering continues for nearly 1 million displaced survivors. By working with a strong local partner who supplies emergency aid to support 150 health care facilities in the Philippines, we are able to overcome logistical challenges and speed relief to survivors in dire need. Our response to date includes:
New shipment of $1 million in crucial medical aid air shipped on November 15, due to arrive in the Philippines on November 17. Urgently-needed medical aid to Tacloban: Our response partner, the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, sent medical aid including antibiotics and chronic care medicines supplied by AmeriCares, to Divine Word Hospital in hard-hit Tacloban. Lifesaving medicine for evacuees: A supply of medicines were procured and donated to a military hospital in Cebu to replace the hospital's dwindling stock of needed items. The hospital is currently treating evacuees from hard-hit Samar and Leyte. Relief team deployed in Cebu on November 10 and Manila on November 11, working with partner organizations to restock hospitals and clinics and supply medical professionals working in disaster zones. Additional relief staff deployed on November 15 to coordinate aid deliveries to hard-hit areas. On November 16-17, the team is conducting needs assessments in Samar and Panay. Two Emergency Medical Modules: air shipped from our Amsterdam warehouse arrived in the Philippines on November 14. The modules contain enough medical aid for 20,000 survivors, including antibiotics, wound care supplies and pain relievers. Emergency Funding: to our local partner for the purchase of items for relief kits including food, water and NFI relief supplies. The kits are being distributed to at least 1,000 families - with some initially going to hard-hit Samar, where the storm made its devastating landfall, as well as to other communities. $167,000 in medical aid to volunteer health care teams providing lifesaving care to typhoon survivors.
