View as Webpage

Disaster Relief Appeal – Flooding in Tanzania

The HF Tanzania Disaster Relief team, with support from HFUSA, is delivering 1.4 tons of food aid to people affected by the flooding. Today they reached 46 families in the Kibiti and Ikwiriri districts. These families have lost their homes to unprecedented floods which have impacted several regions of Tanzania.

Two thatched room homes stand in a flooded area with water up to nearly the ceiling. Yellow plastic jugs float in the water by the homes.

A man wearing a blue humanity first vest next hands a food package to a woman waering a long dress and shawl over her head. They stand outside a one story building on a dirt surface.

With your support, HF is always ready to respond to crises and disasters wherever help is needed.

Help Now

You're Invited to the Gala

There are only a few days left to purchase your ticket for the Humanity First USA 20th Anniversary Gala in Washington DC. The event is not to be missed, as US and foreign dignitaries, nonprofit leaders, and HFUSA supporters like you come together in honor of humanitarian service. We are thrilled to host you.

Seats are filling. Purchase your ticket today!

Gala Tickets

Heart Health for the Marshall Islands

HFUSA Doctors 4 Humanity members traveled for two days to arrive at the Republic of the Marshall Islands. In the inaugural mission of a new partnership between HFUSA and the RMI Ministry of Health, echocardiography technologist Jane Patterson from Toledo Clinic in Ohio and Interventional Cardiologist Dr. Faheem Ahmed from Chicago are treating patients at the hospital on Ebeye Island.

Dr. Faheem reports:

Beginning Monday April 29th, each day has been full of scheduled patients, and we have encountered a diverse range of cases. On that very first day, we got first hand experience with one of the challenges faced at the health center: the power went out for the entire afternoon and patients had to be rescheduled. This happens here, and we worked through it.

A woman wears a blue vest and looks a digital machine as she guides a wand over the chest of a male patient lying on a hospital bed.

Jane has obtained excellent images even in challenging cases involving patients ranging from 4 to 89 years old. Over these four days she has done over 100 echos. This has allowed us to diagnose various cardiac conditions, including mitral valve regurgitation, rheumatic heart disease, and hypertensive heart disease. We identified some severe, previously undiagnosed cardiac conditions. Other patients had a prior diagnosis, but had not been reevaluated for years. I recommended revised care plans to optimize treatment and some referrals for off-island surgical evaluation.

Poverty here is high, and health care is very basic. The hospital building needs maintenance, and there is a shortage of nurses and nurse anesthetists. It is a difficult and tedious process to transfer patients out of the island for more complex surgeries.

The gratitude expressed by patients has been humbling, matched only by the exceptional hospitality of the hospital staff, who are supporting us despite their busy schedules.Thank you to Ebeye resident doctors, Drs. Nasa, Noiega, and Swanson and hospital administrator Johnny.

A man stands next to a seated woman who wears a skirt with a pattern of large pink flowers. He uses a stethoscope on her back to listen to her heart.

A man and a woman stand at the bottom of stairs leading into a building. The large letters overhead read Leiroj Kitlang Memorial Health Center.

Through this partnership, HFUSA will provide medical services in the Marshall Islands in the areas of cardiology, gastroenterology, orthopedics, eye care and dentistry. Doctors 4 Humanity plans to send one more team this year and then 2-4 teams a yearly. Reach out to doctors4humanity@us.humanityfirst.org to learn more!

Food Security for New Yorkers

Last month, Humanity First USA received approval for weekly food distribution in collaboration with the New York City food bank.

Our inaugural shipment was collected on April 12th, destined for the Bronx community, where it was distributed to 100 families in need. We provided essential items such as milk, bread, tuna, fruits, assorted vegetables, and pasta.

A line of people who are dressed for cool weather form a line on a broad sidewalk with bare trees and multi story brick buildings in the background.

9 men wearing blue HF vests stand with a carload of supplies. One man holds a young child and one holds an umbrella under grey clouds.

In our second week, Tahir Academy, in partnership with HFUSA New York team, prepared 200 turkey sandwiches. These sandwiches were promptly picked up by the NYPD Community Affairs Department for delivery to communities in need. Thank you to the students!

The last week of the month again drew 100 families to pick up grains, peanut butter, fruit sweet potatoes, and assorted herbs and vegetables. The New York volunteer team is committed to supporting those in their community who are facing food insecurity.

Young girls wear latex to prepare and pack sandwiches of bread meat and cheese. All wear blue HF vests and some wear scarves loosely around their heads.

Four young boys stand and sit around a folding table packing plastic-wrapped sandwiches into paper bags.

Who was it?

The #throwback photo for National Volunteer Month featured Dr. Mahmood Qureshi - VP of Disaster Relief with Rahim Latif, Farhan Jamil, and Khalid Kark. They partnered with volunteers of the Red Cross to help people in Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. We appreciate their volunteer service!

Four men wearing baseball caps and blue Humanity First t-shirts and a woman in a pink shirt and a a white and red Red Cross vest pose for a picture.

Donate to HFUSA

CONNECT WITH US