Direct Relief planning ahead for residents displaced by Maui fires

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – From shampoo to soap to toothpaste, the Direct Relief team is putting together hundreds of general supplies for those evacuating their homes in Maui.

“Obviously when people left … they leave very quickly and so they don’t have not only hygiene items but things like essential medication‘s and things like that," said Leighton Jones, director of emergency response for Direct Relief.

Since the disastrous widlfires overtook the town of Lahaina, thousands of Maui residents have vacated their homes.

“People regrouping and they know not what they need so I will be sending a lot through the weekend," said Jones.

“Heard that there are thousands of people there on vacation that have been evacuated and so that is going to also increase the pressure on the shelters … it just further complicates things," said Alycia Clark, director of pharmacy and clinical affairs for Direct Relief.

The Direct Relief team will be sending more hygiene kits and other supplies to Maui for weeks to come.

“People had maybe miner health conditions before disaster happened … the disaster exacerbated conditions so we’re concerned that they still have access to the medication," said Jones.

Medical shipments are also on the way to local organizations including healthy mothers, healthy babies coalition of Hawaii and more.

“Also trying to understand what is going to look like not only tomorrow, but a week from now in a month from now … what are those needs found to be," said Clark.

Direct Relief plans to continue shipping requested medicines and medical supplies in response to the fires.