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Stamford, Conn. – Sept. 15, 2018 – Americares emergency teams are responding to major storms in the United States and the Philippines.
In the Philippines, where Typhoon Mangkhut made landfall in northern Luzon early Saturday killing 14 people and forcing tens of thousands to flee their homes, Americares dispatched a medical team to impacted areas. Relief workers left the Americares office in Manila today headed to Cagayan with hygiene kits, cleaning supplies and medical supplies. The team expects to begin providing medical care to survivors as soon as tomorrow.
At the same time, an Americares emergency response team in North Carolina is delivering essential medicines and relief supplies for families evacuated for Hurricane Florence. The response team was in Raleigh this morning packing a shipment of hygiene products including toothpaste, soap, shampoo and adult diapers for a medical shelter in Clayton, N.C.
“Federal officials contacted us requesting supplies for a shelter housing 200 people with serious medical needs,” said Americares Emergency Response Specialist Tom Cotter, who is leading the team in North Carolina. “As we head out today into hard-hit communities we expect to identify more needs and deliver more supplies.”
A shipment of 1,400 first aid kits and 800 hygiene kits left Americares distribution center in Stamford, Conn., early this morning destined for North Carolina. The health-focused relief and development organization has offered assistance to more than 90 partner health clinics in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. Americares is prepared to help health facilities serving low-income and uninsured patients repair storm damage and replace damaged medicine and supplies.
Florence, now a tropical storm, has been lashing the Carolinas for two days, downing trees and flooding communities. Seven deaths have been reported, including a mother and a child killed by a fallen tree. Catastrophic flooding and life-threatening storm surges continue to pose serious risks.
Americares has professional relief workers ready to respond to disasters at a moment’s notice and stocks emergency medicine and supplies in its warehouses in the U.S., Europe and India that can be delivered quickly in times of crisis. The organization has a long history of responding to emergencies in the U.S., including hurricanes Sandy, Harvey, Irma and Maria and the 2018 California wildfires.
Americares responds to an average of 30 natural disasters and humanitarian crises worldwide each year, establishes long-term recovery projects and brings disaster preparedness programs to vulnerable communities.
Donations to Americares Worldwide Disaster Relief Fund will support its emergency response efforts in the U.S. and around the world. To donate, go to americares.org/worldwide.