In early January 2025, Los Angeles County began to face a series of deadly wildfires. Currently, the Palisades and Eaton fires continue to burn thousands of acres of land, forcing widespread evacuations and power outages affecting more than 150,000 residents, including families, seniors and individuals with special needs. In response, Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency, and President Biden authorized federal assistance to support firefighting operations. As of January 8, 2025, the fires remain uncontained, with ongoing efforts to protect lives and property.
Shelters across the Los Angeles region are operating to meet the increased number of unhoused families and individuals, with the largest shelter, Pasadena Convention Center, housing more than 400 residents. However, the constant movement in and out of shelters and the close living spaces and conditions have increased the transmission of communicable diseases such as norovirus, influenza and COVID-19.
Community needs will continue to be significant, particularly for the elderly, children and those with underlying respiratory or chronic conditions such as asthma or COPD. Affected residents remain at an increased risk of adverse health effects due to the smoke, contaminated water and loss of power, and of enormous mental and emotional stress caused by the sudden change and loss of homes and property, wages and loved ones. As crews continue to fight the fires, rapid response and recovery efforts are critical for those directly and indirectly affected.
International Medical Corps, headquartered in Los Angeles, deployed an Emergency Response Team on Wednesday, January 8, and is operating in close communication with state, county and local responders—including the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), the California Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA) and the LA Mayor’s office— on coordination efforts. Since initiating our response, International Medical Corps has distributed 1,280 wound-care kits, 540 individual hygiene kits and 4,000 KN95 masks directly to community members and displaced residents at both the Pasadena Convention Center shelter and the Santa Anita Park Way Community Distribution Center. International Medical Corps is working to quickly facilitate and distribute thousands of additional supplies to federally qualified health center partner and local organizations.
International Medical Corps has also deployed volunteer medical and mental health teams to provide critical care in shelters, distribution centers and re-entry points. On January 20, we began providing medical services at the American Red Cross shelter in the Pasadena Convention Center, where more than 400 displaced residents now live. In coordination with Kaiser Permanente and AltaMed, the team is providing care within the unit, where those with norovirus, flu and COVID-19 are isolated. The team is also working with the city of Pasadena, the Pasadena Department of Public Health, the Red Cross and other organizations to better coordinate patient movements between isolation units and the shelter’s general population unit, hospitals and isolation hotels as appropriate.
By supporting this project, you can help bring urgently needed medical supplies to the people affected by the Los Angeles Wildfires as they rebuild and recover from this disaster.
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Your Support can Save Lives!
By supporting this project or creating a giving opportunity of your own, you can make a lifesaving difference for families affected by crises in the United States and worldwide.
With the support of our global community, in 2023, we:
• reached nearly 16.5 million people affected by armed conflict, natural disasters and disease outbreaks;
• delivered 9,331,598 primary healthcare consultations;
• trained 107,202 people on health, mental health, protection and nutrition-related topics; and
• assisted 2,375,098 people with vital nutrition support.
Join International Medical Corps in our mission to build a healthier and more hopeful world for all in 2024.
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*Please Note for Recurring Donations: Once we have determined that the community can continue to respond to the after-effects of this emergency without us, we will scale back our response efforts. At that time, we will redirect your future donations where they are needed most to help us respond to future outbreaks of conflict, disease or disaster.
