Stop Hunger Now is shipping a container of meals and and donated medical personal protection equipment to Liberia as part of relief operations in response to the recent outbreak of the Ebola virus in West Africa. The first container with more than 228,000 meals departed Aug, 27, 2014, from the Stop Hunger Now warehouse in Philadelphia, PA. The aid will be shipped to the Salesians of Don Bosco, missionaries working in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Ghana, who are committed to supporting the people in the region affected by the outbreak.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, the 2014 Ebola outbreak is one of the largest in history and affects Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone. To date, more than 1,400 deaths are attributed to suspected cases of the virus. As a result, there are reported incidences of food shortages, starvation and a general increase in food insecurity in the region.
Stop Hunger Now has committed to provide more than one million meals to Liberia and Sierra Leone over the next few weeks. Last week, a shipment of meals was received by Salesian Missions in Lungi, Sierra Leone. Also included were 22 boxes of new children’s clothing and 4 boxes of new children’s shoes donated by Carter’s Childrens Clothing.
“Stop Hunger Now is acting quickly to provide life-saving food and aid to the families affected by the Ebola outbreak,” said Rod Brooks, Stop Hunger Now President and CEO. “We have committed an initial response of one million meals, and as the extent of the need becomes more clear, we intend to help as long as necessary.”
In addition to meals, Stop Hunger Now is organizing the shipment of other critical supplies such as first aid kits, medical gloves, face masks, hazmat kits, personal protection equipment.
Founded in 1998, Stop Hunger Now has delivered aid and disaster relief supplies in the form of food, medical supplies, clothing, school supplies, and more to thousands of disaster victims and other hungry and vulnerable people around the world. More than 450,000 volunteers have packaged the highly nutritious dehydrated meals comprised of rice, soy, vegetables, flavoring, and 23 essential vitamins and minerals during popular community-supported Stop Hunger Now meal packaging events.
“We’re grateful for the many volunteers who have packaged meals with Stop Hunger Now. Their support has made this shipment possible. We encourage others to schedule meal packaging events and commit their donations to help us ship meals so that we can continue to provide much needed relief,” says Brooks.
Stop Hunger Now also has a track record of providing meals in response to disasters. After Typhoon Haiyan struck the Philippines in November 2013, Stop Hunger Now shipped 3 million meals and more than $672,800 in donated aid for a response totaling more than $1.5 million towards relief efforts. The organization provided nearly 200,000 meals to victims of Hurricane Sandy in 2012.