DHL mobilizes humanitarian aid and contributions for tsunami victims
Plantation, FL — January 6, 2005 — On December 26, 2004, as the world began to learn of the destruction left behind in Southeast Asia after the tsunami receded back into the waters of the Indian Ocean, a supply and demand chain, of sorts, started forming. World governments, relief organizations and private companies all set in motion their best efforts to speed the necessary supplies and money to the areas most devastated by the natural disaster.
As the most-affected countries continue to undertake recovery efforts following the destruction of last week's tsunami, DHL, a logistics and express delivery company, said it has been responding to requests from national and local governments in affected countries, as well as international aid agencies to provide assistance delivering relief supplies and humanitarian aid. DHL offices across the Asia Pacific region and throughout the world have been directly involved in relief efforts.
As a founding member of the World Economic Forum's Disaster Relief Network (DRN), DHL has mobilized its Global Disaster Relief Network team to render immediate assistance to countries affected by the calamity. Under the direction of Chris Weeks, DHL's DRN director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa regions, the members of the Aircraft Emergency Team (AET) have assembled resources and human expertise to enable airport activities in support of relief efforts. The AET is a DRN initiative stemming from DHL experience in providing logistical support and expertise when disasters strike.
Through its work with the DRN, DHL is providing chartered flights to help in the delivery of relief supplies. To date, it has chartered seven flights, via a mix of DHL aircraft and commercial uplift to areas such as Phuket, Colombo and Banda Aceh, transporting more than 126 metric tons of relief supplies, including medical supplies, food, clothing and drinking water to tsunami-affected areas in the region.
DHL is also providing free use of storage facilities for relief supplies in Jakarta, Indonesia to the UNHCR relief operation.
Some other relief activities by DHL to date include the delivery of approximately 50 metric tons of supplies to Thailand; the deployment of four DHL vans to supplement local Indian governments fleets to transport relief materials and personnel to affected areas; and assistance in the delivery of emergency supplies such as tents, food and bedding in the Maldives.
Globally, DHL has also offered its services to the International Red Cross and the Red Crescent to provide assistance in relief activities that the two organizations have undertaken to help with affected countries.
The worldwide business entities of DHL — including DHL Express, DHL Danzas Air & Ocean and DHL Solutions — continue to raise monetary donations and aid in relief activities through flight charters and contributions in-kind to the tsunami disaster. DHL has also set up a collection fund to coordinate employee contributions, which will be channeled directly to the victims and their families.
"As part of a global network and community, DHL Americas feels a strong responsibility to provide whatever aid is necessary to help ease the suffering of the tsunami victims," said Kay Hart, senior vice president of Corporate Communications, DHL Americas. "We continue to employ our global logistics expertise and services in the hopes that it will facilitate the ongoing relief efforts for an expeditious recovery."
Indonesia was the worst affected by the 9.0-sized earthquake and resulting tsunami that ravaged 11 countries including Sri Lanka, India and Thailand. The high ocean waves reached as far as eastern Africa.
In an Associated Press news story released January 6, the U.N. Chief Kofi Annan said the number killed across Asia and Africa would likely exceed 150,000, but the exact figure would never be known. More than 1.5 million people are homeless across the region.
