MEMPHIS, Tenn. — More than 60 tons of critical aid will soon offer needed relief to medical personnel in Beirut, Lebanon. FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) transported the emergency supplies via a dedicated charter flight to help health facilities responding after a deadly explosion ripped through the city earlier this month, putting significant strain on the medical system.
FedEx supported this disaster relief effort through its relationship with humanitarian organization Direct Relief. FedEx picked up $11 million worth of medicines, medical supplies and personal protective equipment from Direct Relief headquarters in Santa Barbara, California and trucked the load to Memphis. Late Saturday, Aug. 22, team members loaded those supplies onto a FedEx Express Boeing 777 at the FedEx World Hub. The flight landed at noon in Luxembourg Sunday, Aug. 23, where FedEx worked with Cargolux, which also donated its services, to transport the supplies into Beirut.
"FedEx has catalyzed and made possible a huge boost of urgently needed assistance to people in Beirut by providing its world-class team, logistics expertise and aircraft,” said Direct Relief President and CEO Thomas Tighe. “Direct Relief and the many partners with which we’re working to help, including the American Task Force on Lebanon, are profoundly grateful for FedEx once again providing just an extraordinary example of leadership and action to assist people slammed by a humanitarian crisis.”
The relief effort is part of the company’s FedEx Cares “Delivering for Good” initiative, where the company uses its global network and unparalleled logistics expertise to help organizations with mission-critical needs in times of disaster.
“We’ve seen the devastation from the explosion and know people are still in desperate need of help. On behalf of our 500,000 FedEx team members, we are proud to be able to use our global network to provide these lifesaving resources,” said Richard Smith, executive vice president, Global Support, FedEx Express. “We are inspired by Direct Relief’s commitment to making a difference in the lives of others and we are honored to work alongside this incredible organization.”
The delivery of the lifesaving supplies is also part of the company’s FedEx Cares 50 by 50 goal to positively impact 50 million people around the world by the company’s 50th anniversary in 2023.