Even as he was slugging his way into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame, left-handed batting legend Carlos Delgado was paying close attention to the social injustice in his native Puerto Rico. Growing up in the city of Aguadilla, across the island from the capital, San Juan, “I noticed how a lot of the institutions […]

Two years ago, Hurricane Maria devastated the island of Puerto Rico, knocking out power to millions and causing the longest blackout in U.S. history. Now, two years later, the neighboring islands of the Bahamas are reeling after a similarly catastrophic storm—Hurricane Dorian—barreled through the islands last month. Since the Category 5 storm’s lingering assault on Grand Bahama and the Abacos, Puerto Rico has extended an empathetic arm of support to their beleaguered neighbor. From dispatching doctors to sending aid—Puerto Rico has been on the front lines since the beginning. In this episode of our podcast, we speak with Direct Relief’s Puerto Rico-based emergency responder Luis David Rodriguez. Rodriguez recounts his experience living through Maria, and the parallels he witnessed during his response effort in the Bahamas.

Many girls around the world lack access to menstrual products, which can limit educational access and further advancement. Days for Girls is working to change that.

Millions of women around the world miss days of school and work because they do not have access to menstrual hygiene products. Without proper menstrual care, a women's period can become debilitating, forcing her to stay home and forgo her daily activities. In many cultures, stigma further compounds the challenges women face. It is common for women to be sent home from school during their periods or not allowed to enter their homes for fear of disease or death. In order to empower women during their periods and reduce stigma surrounding menstruation, Days for Girls, an international nonprofit organization, sews and distributes reusable sanitary pads to women in countries where access to menstrual hygiene products is limited. Direct Relief has supported Days for Girls in shipping over 3,500 menstrual care kits to women in 23 different countries. The organization has supported more than 1 million women in over 100 countries.

Edwin Rodriguez, a pediatric cardiologist in Puerto Rico, spent the days after Hurricane Maria using carefully rationed gasoline to reach trapped or bedridden patients in damaged buildings. So when a colleague asked him to travel to the Bahamas to help the people hit hardest by Dorian, he had some idea of what to expect. “We […]

In Southeast Asia, Tropical Storm Podul and Tropical Depression Kajiki collided to produce widespread flooding throughout the region, displacing roughly 100,000 people in the country of Laos. As shelters swell with evacuees, personal hygiene becomes more important than ever. In these close quarters, disease and infection are easily spread. That's because, without basic supplies, like soap, it's difficult for evacuees to maintain habits that prevent primary health care problems. To stymie the spread of coughs, colds, and infections, Direct Relief has partnered with the ASEAN Humanitarian Assistance Center to provide flood victims with personal care kits. These kits contain personal hygiene products like soap, towels, and toothbrushes—items many people forgo when evacuating their homes. While evacuees confront a barrage of post-disaster concerns, these kits help victims take care of the basics, so they can focus on rebuilding.

An on-the-ground look at the Bahamas response effort through the voices of Direct Relief staff.

Amid the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian, Direct Relief confronts the logistical challenges of supplying the Bahamas with urgently needed medical supplies. Despite flooded air strips and closed ports, staff use unconventional transportation methods to ensure supplies are delivered.

When a disaster forces people to evacuate, they often forget to take medicines and supplies needed to manage chronic conditions, which can quickly spiral into medical crisis.

In disasters, people will rush to save their families, pets and meaningful heirlooms, often forgetting something of equal consequence -- medication they need to manage a chronic disease like diabetes or asthma. In doing so, they quickly can find themselves facing a medical emergency. Direct Relief Pharmacist Alycia Clark explains the steps people should take when evacuating to protect their health. Reporting by Amarica Rafanelli.