On Thanksgiving Day, a UPS aircraft departed Louisville, KY, loaded with 15,000 pounds of vital medical relief supplies, a donation to assist the Philippines after Typhoon Haiyan. The 747 “Browntail” loaded with medicine as well as medical equipment, departed long before sunrise on Thanksgiving Day for its 8,325 mile journey.
The shipment was made possible by the Catholic Diocese of New York and the Harmony for Peace Foundation in Pennsylvania, a coordinated relief effort with the Philippines Department of Health.
“Our relief efforts in the Philippines continue and it is a privilege for UPS to utilize its expertise and resources to deliver life-saving supplies throughout the impacted areas of the country,” said Eduardo Martinez, president of The UPS Foundation, and Chair of the World Economic Forum Global Agenda Council on Catastrophic Risk. “The people and communities devastated by Typhoon Haiyan are facing many hardships. By moving desperately needed medical items to Cebu, UPS and UPSers on the ground are helping the government and relief organizations ensure that these communities have a reliable, efficient and predictable path back to recovery.”
On November 13, UPS announced a $1 million pledge in support for recovery efforts in the Philippines. The pledge was a combination of cash grants, in-kind transportation movements and technical expertise to provide urgent relief as well as strategic support for long-term recovery needs.
Last year, UPS supported more than 200 humanitarian relief programs in 35 countries. This includes programs that prepare communities for a crisis, supplying them with urgent relief when a crisis occurs, and, giving post-crisis recovery phase support. Through a combination of in-kind shipments, technical and expertise sharing and funding of relief organizations, UPS contributed in excess of $6.5 million in 2012.