When appropriate to do so, Merck provides disaster relief as part of our philanthropic outreach. This often includes donations of medicines through the Merck Medical Outreach Program (MMOP), a mechanism through which Merck donates pharmaceuticals and vaccines to select, qualified private voluntary organizations (PVOs) for use in the developing world and in support of disaster relief and emergency situations worldwide. (For more on the MMOP, click here.)

In certain cases, Merck also provides cash donations as part of our emergency relief efforts.

Our goal in providing disaster relief is to:

• Respond in a timely and appropriate manner
• Meet the needs of relief agencies and the affected community
• Provide consistent and coordinated company-wide relief efforts
• Facilitate communications and dissemination of information among employees and key external groups, customers, Merck neighbors and relief agencies

Merck believes that indiscriminate responses to urgent requests for assistance can be wasteful and counterproductive. For donations of medicines, we rely on our long-standing network of U.S.-based PVO partners to communicate with in-country staff and affected Ministries of Health to provide accurate needs assessments. Working with these organizations, various Merck departments and local country management, we determine an appropriate response to disaster situations on a case-by-case basis.

Over the years, our vaccine and pharmaceutical product donations have played an important role in support of disaster relief efforts worldwide. Recent disaster relief efforts have included:

• China: Following the May 12, 2008, earthquake in China's Sichuan Province, Merck donated more than $1 million in resources to address immediate needs of the recovery efforts. This response included cash contributions, requests for medicines and vaccines from our non-profit humanitarian partners, as well providing technical support on the ground where possible.
• Myanmar: Merck donated more than $720,000 in cash, product and employee contributions to relief efforts in the wake of the Myanmar Cyclone in May 2008.
• United States: Donated nearly $11 million in vaccines and medicines to relief agencies and state departments of health to help victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita (to learn more about our response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, click here.)
• Southeast Asia: Donated more than $11.5 million in cash, products and employee contributions to relief efforts following the devastating tsunami that struck parts of Asia and Africa on December 26, 2004. (For more information on our tsunami relief efforts, click here.)
• Pakistan: The Merck Company Foundation responded with a $250,000 cash contribution to the Pakistani President’s Relief Fund for Earthquake Victims – 2005. MSD Pakistan employees donated one day’s salary, which was matched 100 percent by MSD Pakistan. In addition, employees at Merck’s other MSD subsidiaries responded with cash donations totaling approximately $118,000. Employees in the U.S. have donated $65,000 to-date, which will be matched by The Merck Company Foundation for a total of $130,000. MSD Pakistan and the Merck Office of Contributions also made an emergency donation of various medicines.
• Middle East: Merck's Office of Contributions is working closely with colleagues at MSD offices in Israel and Lebanon and with our non-profit organization partners to determine needs in the affected region. To date, Merck has donated $1.9 million worth of medicines to non-profit organizations working in Lebanon, directly and through our MSD subsidiaries. Additionally, MSD Israel has donated grocery packages to people in need, and MSD Israel employees are donating items to other employees who were displaced in the conflict. Merck will continue to work with our colleagues and non-profit organization partners to assess the need, and provide aid when and where appropriate.