Nepal Flood Response Continues, Midwife Kits Reach South Sudan, and Diabetes Medicines Arrive in Yemen
By Tori Gordon
Over the past week, Direct Relief has delivered 398 shipments of requested medical aid to 45 U.S. states and territories, and to 28 countries worldwide. The shipments contained 12.9 million defined daily doses of medication.
Medications and supplies shipped this week included rare disease treatments, diabetes treatments, cancer therapies, fistula repair kits, and backup power equipment.
Mountain Heart Nepal Brings Medical Care to Remote Rasuwa Community
Direct Relief’s response to Nepal’s devastating flash floods continues, with local partners working to reach communities where access remains most difficult. Mountain Heart Nepal recently completed a field response to a flood-affected community in Kalika Rural Municipality, Rasuwa, a trip that normally takes about six hours but stretched to nearly 12 due to badly damaged roads.
During the response, the group delivered four oxygen concentrators and 480 plaster bandages to Jibjibe Primary Hospital, along with 2,000 face masks and 40 body bags from disaster-response stock pre-positioned by Direct Relief. The team also distributed 50 solar lights provided through Direct Relief’s partnership with Unite to Light. Additional medicines were handed over to the hospital to support continued care for affected patients, and the team held a health camp providing medical care, treatment, and counseling to community members.
Approximately two-thirds of the 14-ton shipment of medical aid that arrived in Kathmandu on Sept. 6 is designated for Mountain Heart Nepal to support its ongoing medical missions and health facilities serving affected communities. The shipment includes antibiotics, IV fluids, chronic disease medications, wound care supplies, and personal protective equipment, supplies the organization will continue carrying into hard-to-reach communities like Kalika as the flood response continues.
Emergency Midwife Kits Support Maternal Health Services in South Sudan
Fifteen midwife kits arrived in South Sudan this week, drawn from Direct Relief’s emergency midwife kit reserve and allocated to Transformation of the World in Christ, or TWIC, which requested them for its partner network providing care to internally displaced people and refugees. The kits were distributed throughout the country, including to the South Sudan Nurses and Midwives Association, Juba Teaching Hospital, Lighthouse Hospital, and Mother Teresa Hospital.
The kits will help support maternal and newborn health services for communities facing limited access to care amid ongoing conflict and displacement. Many hospitals in the region are far from the communities they serve and can become inaccessible during the rainy season, making it critical to ensure safe childbirth options closer to home. South Sudan has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world, and the kits provide essential supplies that are otherwise scarce in the area.
“It will be a great privilege to be able to facilitate the distribution of the kits, especially to the South Sudan Nurses and Midwives Association, as they play an important role in building the strategy to improve care of mothers and babies during childbirth,” a TWIC representative said.
The association maintains 19 chapters nationwide and works with limited resources to support improved maternity care across the country.
Diabetes Medicines Reach Public Health Facilities Across Yemen
Yemen Aid has distributed a shipment of diabetes medicines, provided through Direct Relief, to Chronic Disease Centers across eight Yemeni governorates: Aden, Lahj, Abyan, Shabwa, Al Dhale’e, Hadramout, Taiz, and Marib. The distribution was carried out through the National Programme for Medical Supplies.
The support helps improve the availability of diabetes medicines in public health facilities and ensures continuity of care for people living with Type 2 diabetes. Greater access to treatment eases the burden faced by patients and supports better health outcomes and quality of life.
Operational Snapshot
UNITED STATES
Direct Relief delivered 344 shipments containing 810,705 doses of medications this past week to organizations, including the following:
- The Center for Health & Prevention, California
- Street Outreach Teams, Michigan
- The Agape Clinic, Texas
- PanCare of Florida, Inc. Malone, Florida
- Shackelford County Community Resource Center, Texas
- UMC Free Clinic, Florida
- Franklin County Community Care, Texas
- Orange Blossom Family Health Center, Florida
- Rosa Clark Medical Clinic, South Carolina
- Savie Health Corp, California
Around the World
Outside the US, Direct Relief shipped over 12 million defined daily doses of medication, totaling 119,372 pounds, to countries including the following:
- Tunisia
- Venezuela
- Uganda
- Sudan
- Nigeria
- India
- Morocco
- Pakistan
Year-to-Date
Since January 1, 2026, Direct Relief has delivered 16,000 shipments to 2,463 partner organizations in 53 U.S. states and territories and 90 countries.
These shipments contained 284.4 million defined daily doses of medication valued at $1.2 billion (wholesale) and totaled 3.2 million pounds.