Emergency Fuel for Disaster Survivors

Dear Friends and Supporters,

Happy New Year to you and yours.

2020 was difficult for all of us. As an organization, Fuel Relief Fund was hit hard by travel restrictions which made responding to disasters around the country and around the globe nearly impossible. We had to cancel our annual fundraiser and several of our projects were put on hold indefinitely. We lost time, funding, and family to the pandemic.

Despite all that, FRF is still here and working as hard as ever. And we continue to remain hopeful that this new year has good things in store.

We want you to know that the support you have given us over the years has enabled us to make it through these trying times. Thank you to everyone who donated hard earned money and time; everyone who volunteered with us; and everyone who reached out to wish us well.

Sending you health and happiness in 2021~

Sincerely,

FRF

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FUEL RELIEF FUND JANUARY 2021 UPDATE

FRF is beginning the new year with a new project. Starting next week, we will be helping the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) set up an efficient fuel supply chain for their humanitarian operations in Ethiopia where sectarian violence has lead to a massive humanitarian crisis.

To give you a little background –– In November 2020, violent conflict erupted in the Tigray region of Ethiopia between the Ethiopian National Defense Force and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, a political party governing the province. As the situation escalated, fighting over control of the land prompted sectarian attacks on civilians. Tragically, on November 9th, over 600 innocent people were massacred.

The conflict has resulted in mass displacement in the Tigray region and beyond. With people continuing to flee from their homes, a steady stream of refugees is spilling into neighboring resource-strapped countries. According to recent numbers, a total of 2.2 million people have been displaced and are in need of humanitarian assistance.

The United Nations launched an appeal for funding and aid agencies are on the ground attempting to assist those in need, but ongoing fighting and limited funding for critical supplies continues to hamper response efforts. According to UN OCHA in mid-December, “Dire shortages of vital supplies, including food, water, fuel and cash are seriously affecting people in the whole Tigray Region, including hundreds of aid workers based in the area. In multiple parts of Tigray, people have gone more than a month without electricity, running water, access to cash and telecommunication services.”

Fuel is a crucial resource on which emergency response operations depend. In collaboration with WFP, FRF will be working to ensure that fuel for humanitarian vehicles and generators is readily available. We will continue to update you on this project over the next few months so keep your eyes peeled for our next project report.

Links:

• FRF Website
• About the Conflict in Ethiopia

Dear Friends,

On August 27th, Hurricane Laura made landfall as a Category 4 storm in Cameron, Louisiana. Though Hurricanes Katrina and Rita famously ravaged Louisiana, Hurricane Laura is the strongest hurricane to make landfall in the state (tied with a storm in 1856). At its peak, Laura attained sustained winds of 150 mph (just 7 mph short of a category 5) and caused significant storm surge and torrential rain. Trees snapped in half, roofs were torn off houses, buildings were flooded, and 900,000 households lost power. Despite 1.5 million people having evacuated from the region in the days prior, Hurricane Laura resulted in 26 deaths in Louisiana alone.

Fuel Relief Fund had been monitoring the storm for a week. Up until the night before, it was unclear whether or not an emergency response mission would be necessary. But in the 24 hr period directly preceding landfall, Hurricane Laura's winds intensified by a whopping 65 mph and the FRF team quickly mobilized. Within a day, our first emergency responder was on the ground in the affected area.

We procured over 8,000 gallons of gas and diesel and stationed our fuel tanker in the center of hard-hit Lake Charles. At that point, not a single gas station was open for many miles in any direction and first responders had run out of fuel for critical vehicles and equipment. People in the storm's path had lost everything – their jobs, cars and homes. Without fuel, they had no lights, refrigeration or air-conditioning. They couldn't charge their phones to call loved ones or drive their cars to seek medical attention. The situation was dire.

The team spend the first day exclusively fueling police, firefighters and other first responders so that the response effort wasn't hindered. Then, they focused their attention on filling up every gas can and car they came into contact with. Starting at 6:30 am, people began queuing. They waited for hours in the hot Louisiana sun on lines that stretched for miles to get fuel for their portable generators and cars.

All in all, Fuel Relief Fund provided 2,200 gallons of free fuel to humanitarian organizations and first responders, supporting emergency response activities across the region. 5,800 gallons of fuel were given to over 1400 affected people and families to help them meet basic needs during this incredibly challenging time.

Another successful Fuel Relief Fund mission thanks to generous donors like you. To learn more about our work in Louisiana from the people it impacted, watch the beneficiary testimonial videos attached to this report and on our vimeo page. 

Until our next update, stay safe and thank you.

Links:

• FRF Fuel Line
• Beneficiary Testimonial
• Beneficiary Testimonial