Community Updates

Problem Solving when Disaster Strikes:
UPS’s Humanitarian Relief & Resilience Program

Every year, millions of people lose access to food, water and shelter in a matter of minutes due to natural disasters. To bring immediate relief, UPS provides hands-on support and expertise to help communities bounce back when disaster strikes. We collaborate with others to create innovative solutions that strengthen communities so they are better prepared when future disasters occur.

Published 9 years ago | About a 3 minute read

UPS’s Humanitarian Relief & Resilience Program is made possible through our teams of committed UPSers, unparalleled logistics network, distribution expertise and advanced ground and air fleets. UPS has contributed more than $36 million toward global preparedness, response and recovery initiatives, and allotted an additional $16 million of in-kind support in just the past seven years. Since its inception in 1951, The UPS Foundation has maintained a mission to build stronger and more resilient communities around the world. Its strategy is built on four pillars: empowering local UPS operations to provide support in advance, during and after a natural disaster occurs; building sector-wide thought leadership in disaster management; promoting skill-based volunteering; and engaging humanitarian relief organizations to help build capacity and solve issues effectively and efficiently.

Empowering Local UPS Operations to support Disaster Management & Enhancing Thought Leadership

UPS joins and convenes coalitions of government agencies, NGOs and businesses to develop best practices that enhance humanitarian relief efforts around the world. As a key member of The World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Catastrophic Risk, The UPS Foundation collaborated with the Corporate Social Responsibility Association of Turkey to implement the Saglam Kobi program. By working with this cross-sector coalition, UPS helped launch a disaster resiliency program to strengthen local community businesses in advance of potential crises by providing preparedness and safety trainings. UPS is co-chairing a similar program, Resilient America, with the National Academy of Science.

Developing and Implementing Skill-Based Volunteering

UPS has trained groups of international UPS logisticians to be first responders within 48 hours of a natural disaster. Since the launch of the Logistics Emergency Team (LET) program, UPSers have participated in trainings and have been deployed to numerous active disaster sites. Through a partnership with the United Nations World Food Programme, LETs have supported UN staff in disaster areas affecting more than 500,000 people. In addition to the LETs, UPS partnered with the American Red Cross to create the Logistics Action Team (LAT) that is ready to deploy in 18 high risk U.S. states.

Engaging Humanitarian Relief Organizations

The UPS Foundation maintains continuous partnerships with the preeminent, global humanitarian relief organizations that provide a wide range of support for communities before, during and after a crisis. After Cyclone Pam struck the South Pacific in 2015, UPS collaborated with the Salvation Army to bring immediate relief to the Vanuatuans. UPSers delivered three weeks’ worth of rice, 6,300 liters of drinking water and water supply equipment. The success of this mission was not without logistical challenges though - as the three villages were each at least a two-hour hike apart. In the most recent catastrophic earthquake in Nepal, we are actively engaged in providing support to the communities impacted.

UPS’s disaster preparedness and recovery programs deliver long-lasting impact around the world. By committing to this global program these continual efforts will help build stronger, more resilient communities.