UPS FACILITATES UN AID FLIGHTS FROM THE MIDDLE EAST TO REFUGEES IN EUROPE

by Shrutee K/DNS

Mumbai, 15 September 2015 – The UPS Foundation has coordinated flights from across the Middle East region to deliver relief supplies to Europe. The UN refugee agency UNHCR worked with UPS and the World Food Program (WFP) to fly 86 tons of high energy biscuits from the UN Humanitarian Response Depot in Dubai, UAE to Athens, Greece last week. From Amman, Jordan, UNHCR and UPS organized a flight carrying relief supplies for 30,000 refugees in Greece, including 30,000 blankets, 25,000 sleeping mats and 1,000 solar lanterns. From Athens airport, UPS facilitated the transport to refugees on the border of Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. As UNHCR‘s emergency standby partner, UPS works closely with UNHCR to airlift core relief items for lifesaving support.

“The flights from Dubai and Jordan will provide vital aid to the unprecedented numbers of refugees in Europe,” said Rami Suleiman, UPS Vice President Indian Subcontinent, Middle East and Africa District. Over the last decade, Dubai has developed into a vital logistics hub, connecting East Africa with South Asia. The Emirate hosts the Dubai International Humanitarian City (IHC), the world’s largest and busiest logistics hub for humanitarian aid, with nine UN agencies and nearly 50 NGOs and commercial entities as members. Last year UPS signed a memorandum of understanding with IHC to provide support when required. 

The UPS Foundation’s Humanitarian Relief and Resilience program provides communities with crisis recovery support, from disaster preparation to urgent relief following an event through to post-crisis rehabilitation, most recently providing aid flights to Nepal following the devastating earthquakes this year. In 2014, the UPS Foundation assisted with more than 263 shipments to 43 different countries to help with disaster response efforts.

For more information about the UPS Foundation’s Humanitarian Relief & Resilience Program, visit UPS.com/Foundation.

About The UPS Foundation

UPS (NYSE: UPS) is a global leader in logistics, offering a broad range of solutions including the transportation of packages and freight; the facilitation of international trade, and the deployment of advanced technology to more efficiently manage the world of business. Since its founding in 1907, UPS has built a legacy as a caring and responsible corporate citizen, supporting programs that provide long-term solutions to community needs. Founded in 1951, The UPS Foundation is responsible for facilitating community involvement to local, national, and global communities. In 2014, UPS and its employees, active and retired, invested more than $104 million in charitable giving around the world. The UPS Foundation can be found on the web at UPS.com/Foundation.  To get UPS news direct, visit pressroom.ups.com/RSS.