OBI Teams Up With MAP International And DHL For Emergency Shipment Of Medication
VIRGINIA BEACH, VA (October 27, 2008) - At the request of The First Lady of Honduras, Xiomara Castro de Zelaya, humanitarian organization Operation Blessing International (OBI) is responding to the worst flooding to hit Honduras since Hurricane Mitch in 1998. Media reports confirm that 29 people have died in the flooding and mudslides, a result of torrential rain that has not let up in nearly two weeks.
Operation Blessing International called on longtime partners MAP International and the international shipping company DHL in order to rush a shipment of $150,000 worth of medication, which arrived in Tegucigalpa this weekend. The shipment of medication includes antibiotics, pain relievers, anti-inflammatory medication and rehydration salts.
OBI has also assembled two shipping containers filled with 75,000 pounds of emergency supplies including 17,000 MRE meals, 3,000 blankets, 12,000 hygiene products, and 10,000 cans of vegetables Those shipping containers will arrive later this week.
Bill Horan, president of Operation Blessing International, said, "This disaster is shaping up much like the aftermath of Hurricane Mitch when mudslides buried entire villages and killed thousands. Honduras is a tiny country filled with hard-working people who need our help. We hope that the humanitarian community joins us in lending a hand."
OBI enacted several humanitarian programs in Honduras this year. In March, the country was the launching point for an expanded international anti-parasite program that resulted in 9.5 million children in 9 countries being treated with medication throughout the year. In April, OBI, MAP International and DHL teamed up to deliver 700 doses of the life-saving drug Factor VIII to Honduras in order to treat hemophiliac patients whose lives were at risk because of a local shortage of the medication. OBI also partnered with the Mayo Clinic to bring a young Honduran girl to the USA for life-saving surgery during the summer.
To donate or read updates on OBI's efforts, please log on to www.ob.org and/or www.myowneyes.org.
ABOUT OPERATION BLESSING INTERNATIONAL:
Operation Blessing International (OBI) is one of the largest charities in America, providing strategic disaster relief, medical aid, hunger relief, clean water and community development in 22 countries around the world on a daily basis. In 2007, OBI responded to a record 20 disasters in 14 countries. Most recently, OBI mobilized teams and funded major relief and recovery efforts in Myanmar, the Sichuan Province of China, Rift Valley in Kenya, Bangladesh, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, the Darfur region of Sudan, Pakistan, Somalia, India, Indonesia, Mozambique and the Philippines. OBI has also made headlines as a first responder to U.S. hurricanes, floods and tornados as well as the tsunami disaster in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand. In addition to directing major disaster relief efforts, OBI has often filled the role of logistical arm to organizations including the International Red Cross, the Salvation Army, UNICEF and the United Nations World Food Program. Founded in 1978, Operation Blessing International has touched the lives of more than 202.7 million people in more than 105 countries and 50 states, providing goods and services valued at over $1.4 billion to date.
Contact:
Chris Roslan
DRC Inc. Public Relations
(212) 966-4600
chris@drcpublicrelations.com