Shipment to Meet Emergency Medical Needs of Tens of Thousands of Displaced People

Children play in a shelter in Haiti after several tropical storms damaged the region. Save the Children is working to provide health and nutritional supplies to survivors.

WESTPORT, Conn. (Oct. 7, 2008) — Save the Children is working with the government of Haiti to ensure that lifesaving medicines and medical supplies reach survivors of four recent tropical storms, which left nearly 800 dead after widespread flooding and destruction on the western third of the island of Hispaniola.

Save the Children coordinated delivery Monday of more than 30,000 pounds of medicines and medical and surgical materials — including antibiotics, antiseptics, oral-rehydration salts to treat dehydration from diarrhea, pain medicines, multivitamins, gauze and sutures. The shipment, valued at nearly $3 million and donated and delivered to Port-au-Prince, Haiti by AmeriCares, will help meet the emergency medical needs of tens of thousands of displaced people.

Managed by the Ministry of Public Health and Population's Pharmaceutical Control Division, the products will be distributed free of charge to patients in need through regional medical supply chains, hospitals, clinics and health facilities.

"These medicines and supplies will go a long way to help alleviate suffering in the flood-affected areas and replace supplies washed away by the storms," said Lee Nelson, Save the Children's Country Representative in Haiti.

"I am pleased to receive this precious cargo on behalf of the government of Haiti, and wish to assure Save the Children and AmeriCares of the profound appreciation of the Haitian people," said Pinchinat Pierre-Louis, Deputy Director of Haiti's Civil Protection Agency.

Read about Save the Children's current programs for Haitian children in temporary shelters.

Haiti was struck by Tropical Storm Fay on August 15 and 16, by Hurricane Gustav on August 26, by Tropical Storm Hanna on September 1 and by Hurricane Ike on September 6 and 7.

Save the Children has worked in Haiti since 1985 providing community-based development programs and reinforcing government social services in child protection, education, health, food security, and humanitarian relief.

Donate now to support Save the Children's immediate and long-term response to the children and families affected by the storms in Haiti.

Read more about Save the Children's response.