UPS Taps Its Global Network to Provide Financial and Logistics Support to Aid Ecuador Earthquake Recovery
May 04 2016 - 9:30AM
The UPS Foundation, the philanthropic arm of UPS (NYSE: UPS), today
announced an initial cash and in-kind commitment of more than USD
$500,000 to aid in response and recovery efforts following the
destructive earthquake that struck Ecuador on April 16. The UPS
Foundation contributions will enable the provision of urgent
relief, as well as on-the-ground logistics support via the United
Nations Logistics Cluster’s Logistics Emergency Teams (LET).
Through its Humanitarian Relief & Resilience Program, The
UPS Foundation has already contributed a significant portion of
these funds toward the immediate activation of emergency funds,
enabling the purchase and distribution of critical relief supplies
in Ecuador. These funds were provided to the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), where UPS was one of the
agency’s first partners to respond and commit funding to UNHCR’s
disaster relief efforts, which included the purchase of temporary
shelter items to protect earthquake survivors during the rainy
season.
Additionally, emergency funding was also given to the World Food
Programme (WFP) to help procure perishable foods for emergency kits
that are being delivered to impacted communities. These emergency
food assistance kits contain products such as milk, quinoa, flour
and tuna, which can provide enough food to feed over 8,000 people
in the country’s worst-hit areas. Funding was also activated for
CARE to assist with water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) relief.
Given the widespread infrastructure damage, affected families will
need clean drinking water and adequate sanitation facilities that
WASH products will help provide.
Beyond providing monetary assistance, UPS is also using its
global logistics network to give in-kind support toward relief
efforts in Ecuador. The company is further helping UNHCR by
coordinating a flight to Guayaquil, Ecuador, to deliver 100 metric
tons of relief provisions such as sleeping mats, tents and
lanterns. UPS also flew two additional 767 relief flights from
Panama to Ecuador for WFP, carrying 73 metric tons of cargo
including generators, lighting equipment and portable warehousing
materials.
Furthermore, UPS will aid MedShare, by transporting 11 pallets
of donated medical supplies, which will be distributed to multiple
medical centers treating earthquake victims. The UPS
Foundation is also partnering with the U.S. Ecuadorian Embassy to
provide logistics expertise.
As part of the company’s on-the-ground efforts, The UPS
Foundation has assembled a team of logistics experts to work
closely with the United Nations Logistics Cluster and the WFP to
assist with warehouse logistics and transportation near Quito.
Additionally, The UPS Foundation is collaborating with the United
Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) to
coordinate ground logistics to provide onsite relief support from
Quito to areas affected by the earthquake.
“The heartache from the disastrous earthquake in Ecuador has
echoed worldwide, affecting our international community,” said
Eduardo Martinez, president of The UPS Foundation and chief
diversity and inclusion officer at UPS. “As a global corporate
citizen, when a community is in crisis, UPS and our people are
moved to help because these are our communities as well. Our hearts
weigh heavy for the people of Ecuador and we are committed to bring
our problem-solving expertise to help the communities impacted by
this tragedy and be an active ally to our humanitarian partners who
are also at the frontline providing life-saving services and
supplies in this crisis.”
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 post-crisis
rehabilitation. In 2016, The UPS Foundation committed $14 million
in funding, technical and in-kind services to support a broad range
of disaster resilience initiatives to strengthen preparedness,
response and post-crisis recovery. In 2015, The UPS Foundation
assisted with more than 350 shipments to 50 different countries to
help with disaster response and recovery 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 leads its global citizenship
programs and is responsible for facilitating community involvement
to local, national, and global communities. In 2015, UPS and its
employees, active and retired, invested more than $110 million in
charitable giving around the world and recorded more than 2.3
million hours of volunteer service. The UPS Foundation can be found
on the web at UPS.com/Foundation. To get UPS news direct, visit
pressroom.ups.com/RSS.
Jose Cano
305-869-8191
josecano@ups.com
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