UAE, 19 February, 2023: This week, three UPS-coordinated flights are taking off from Dubai airport transporting more than 300 tons of urgently needed relief items from the World Food Programme, UNICEF, UNHCR and the Red Cross to Turkey. 

 

Amid widespread devastation caused by the recent earthquakes, people in the affected areas in Turkey and Syria need all available help as soon as possible. UPS is using its global smart logistics network to transport relief supplies from its humanitarian aid partners in the UAE.

 

The Dubai airport serves as one of UPS’s global air freight hubs. Near to the International Humanitarian City, it is not only a platform to service customers but is also central to disaster relief efforts and support. 

 

In addition to the Dubai-Istanbul flights, UPS and The UPS Foundation have taken other measures to provide aid. This includes:

 

• Pledging more than US$1 million in global logistics services.

• Operating an airbridge to Istanbul from Cologne, Germany with dedicated space on daily flights to humanitarian organizations.

• Offering transport capacity in UPS trucks for the Istanbul city government and NeedsMap, a local NGO we support.

• Activating EDUARDO, an emergency air dashboard created by skilled UPS volunteers to help humanitarian relief organizations quickly access all available flight capacity available at airports across Turkey.

• UPSers are dedicating thousands of hours in volunteer efforts to pack, sort, load and provide transportation services to get donated relief items to Turkish Airlines, in collaboration with Turkish consulates. 

• Working with the Turkish embassy, UPS mobilized 17 trucks to move 41,000kg of donations from UAE residents to the airport. Items include winter clothing, sleeping bags, blankets, dry food items, baby food and diapers.

 

Attributable quote from Ufku Akaltan, President of UPS India, Middle East, Africa and Central Asia:  'As a Turkish citizen myself, my heart and thoughts are with the people of Turkey and Syria. Our sympathy also goes to the many relatives - including numerous UPS employees - of the people affected in the region. We are stepping up by using the expertise of our committed employees, our smart global logistics network and working closely with our humanitarian aid partners.”