21st Humanitarian Container — Dubti Referral Hospital, Afar Region

Dubti Referral Hospital is the main — and often only — fully functional referral hospital serving the entire Afar Regional State in northeastern Ethiopia, a lifeline for more than one million people across a harsh, remote region. As the central referral hub, it treats complex medical and surgical cases, severe malnutrition and life-threatening emergencies, and runs a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for the region’s most vulnerable newborns.

Recurrent conflict, drought, displacement and poverty have placed enormous strain on the hospital’s infrastructure and equipment. This was our 21st humanitarian container overall, and the second we have prepared specifically for the Afar region.

Update — 9 June 2026: We are proud to announce that the fundraising target for this container has been reached in full, thanks to the extraordinary generosity of the Afar community in Australia (with special recognition to the Afar Community Brisbane), the Harari community in Melbourne and around the world, and our fellow Rotarians. The container is now being loaded for shipment via the Port of Djibouti.

Every dollar helped deliver urgently needed hospital equipment and supplies, strengthen critical services for children with severe malnutrition, mothers and babies, and patients with complex surgical and medical needs — and extended the life of high-quality equipment through reuse.