ATLANTA, Sept. 22, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --
- Two Flights With MREs (Meals, Ready to Eat) to Puerto Rico
- Schedules Flight to Cuba in Support of Red Cross Needs
- Assessing Needs in Mexico and Supporting Mexican Relief Organization
UPS (NYSE:UPS) today announced that The UPS Foundation and UPS Airlines will expand humanitarian
aid and support after devastating hurricanes and an earthquake.
“Hurricanes Maria, Irma and Harvey, together with the earthquake in Mexico, have left behind an almost unprecedented need for
humanitarian aid throughout the Carribbean and southeastern U.S.,” said Eduardo Martinez, president of The UPS Foundation and chief
diversity and inclusion officer. “When the International Federation of the Red Cross called to request assistance to aid those in
Cuba, we knew how important it was to answer that call. Likewise, we are delivering to those in need after the earthquake in
Mexico, and now also assisting in Puerto Rico, as we work with our global relief partners on as many fronts as we can.”
In support of Puerto Rico, after the devastating impact from Hurricane Maria, UPS Airlines will fly two UPS Browntail air freighters to San Juan Luis Muñoz Marín Airport
(SJU), delivering Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), under contract for FEMA. The first flight will leave today and the second will go
this weekend.
In support of needs in Cuba, and at the request of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), UPS Airlines will
carry tarps, hygiene kits, mosquito nets, liquid containers and shelter tool kits. The flight is scheduled to leave Miami on
Saturday, September 23, make an intermediate stop in Panama, and arrive in Cuba later that day. IFRC staff and UPS employees will
unload the relief supplies. The supplies will help 12,000 Cuban families recover and rebuild their homes and communities. This is
the the first planned UPS flight to Cuba in the company’s history.
In Mexico, The UPS Foundation is assessing short- and longer-term needs, and has offered in-kind transportation of relief items,
including shelters, and logistics support to CENACED, a nonprofit relief organization in Mexico helping in the recovery efforts after the
magnitude 7.1 earthquake that struck south of Mexico City earlier this week. CENACED is affiliated with the UN Connecting Business
Initiative, the effort to build networks to improve resilience, speed response and expedite recovery.
The UPS Foundation has worked with the American Red Cross, The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC),
The Salvation Army, and other humanitarian aid partners to provide immediate support and assess
longer-term needs as a result of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria. Earlier this month, UPS announced more than a $1 million
pledge, through The UPS Foundation in support of recovery efforts in Texas and Louisiana, and another $1 million
commitment in support of recovery efforts in the Caribbean, Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, following the devastation caused
by Hurricane Irma. In addition, The UPS Foundation, the American Red Cross and drone manufacturer CyPhy Works, Inc., announced a drone pilot program, to assess damage after Hurricane Harvey. This is the the first time the
American Red Cross will test using a tethered drone to assess damage after a major natural disaster in the United States.
The UPS Foundation has worked with the Red Cross for decades to help the organization respond to natural disasters and assist
those most in need. In addition, UPS has deployed skilled volunteers with humanitarian logistics expertise to affected areas. This
month, UPS loaned executive volunteers deployed in the Caribbean, Florida, and Texas to help coordinate logistics support with
partner agencies providing relief.
UPS and The UPS Foundation have a history of leveraging the company’s logistics expertise and moving quickly to assist in
delivering humanitarian aid and relief efforts after natural disasters. In fact, providing humanitarian relief is an ongoing
program. Last year, The UPS Foundation responded to 20 major world disasters and invested more than $13 million in funding,
in-kind, and technical support for community safety initiatives that included enhancing urgent disaster response preparedness,
response, and recovery.
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 2016, UPS and its
employees, active and retired, invested more than $116 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, follow @UPS_News on Twitter.
Glenn Zaccara 404-828-4663 gzaccara@ups.com
