Direct Relief, the U.S.’s 4th Largest Charity, Sends $1M in Medical Aid to Jamaica

Direct Relief delivered 60 pallets of essential medical supplies — valued at US $1 million - containing enough resources to support care for up to 3,000 patients for 30 days

Direct Relief airlifts 60 pallets of critical medical supplies to Jamaica

In response to Hurricane Melissa, Direct Relief has delivered 60 pallets of essential medical supplies, valued at approximately US $1 million, to Jamaica from its warehouse in Santa Barbara, California.

The organization chartered an aircraft to transport the medication and medical supplies directly to Kingston.

Direct Relief, which is the fourth-largest charity in the United States, is currently on the ground working with partners to assess needs and support ongoing relief operations.

Ivonne Rodríguez-Wiewall, Direct Relief’s Executive Advisor to the Caribbean, and Luis David Rodriguez, the organization’s Emergency Response Manager for the Caribbean and Latin America, arrived in Jamaica alongside several colleagues ahead of the shipment to coordinate logistics. She stated, “From our experience, the primary cause of death is not the hurricane itself but the aftermath due to the lack of access to health care services.”

Some of the essential medications and supplies arrived in Jamaica on Tuesday through joint coordination between Direct Relief and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). These resources are helping to support urgent patient-care needs in the aftermath of the devastating storm, with additional shipments expected to arrive through November 8.

Medical support arrived in Kingston, including a Direct Relief hurricane preparedness pack — a specialized module containing critical medications such as antibiotics, wound-care supplies, chronic-disease management medicines, protective gear, and more. These packs are strategically pre-positioned in hurricane-prone regions across the Caribbean and the U.S. Gulf Coast to ensure continuity of care when supply chains are disrupted.

The preparedness pack contains enough medication to sustain care for up to 3,000 patients for 30 days. Monday’s shipment also included 10 Direct Relief Field Medic Packs, which are designed to equip first responders with essential materials for triage and emergency response.

The shipment will be distributed by Jamaica’s Ministry of Health, which oversees public health facilities across the island, including hospitals and primary care clinics.

Direct Relief has also allocated US $250,000 toward logistics and preparedness to support Jamaica’s Hurricane Melissa response. In addition, the organization has US $60 million worth of medication and medical supplies pre-positioned and ready to be deployed as needs continue to emerge.