Neuss, November 28, 2014

UPS provides its logistics expertise, The UPS Foundation contributes initial funds of USD 250,000 and the Cologne Bonn airport makes available storage facilities for combating Ebola.

In support of humanitarian organizations fighting the Ebola outbreak in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, a staging area has been made available in Cologne-Bonn Airport to facilitate the consolidation of air shipments. Through the joint contribution of staff and services of the airport and UPS, this dedicated space will support the planning, supply chain, co-loading and optimization of flights for the humanitarian community. The Logistics Cluster, led by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), will facilitate and manage the access to the staging area and its services.

UPS, in partnership with logistics companies Agility and Maersk, is supporting the Logistics Cluster according to well established guidelines and practices tested during natural disasters. Through this partnership the logistics industry capacity and resources are combined with the expertise and experience of the humanitarian community to provide more effective and efficient relief.

The UPS Foundation provides funds in the amount of USD 250,000 to enable cargo handling and necessary overland transports to the storage facility - if a flight departs from another airport - and from the storage facility. "UPS is pleased that this public-private partnership is filling a vital need for global transportation services to Ebola-effected counties by providing free staging storage and consolidation services to the Global Logistics Cluster, to support the first of many humanitarian charters to depart Cologne last Wednesday, carrying 100 metric tons of consolidated relief supplies to West Africa," said Al Bedran, UPS Europe Region Transportation Manager. "From the Cologne Bonn Airport hub, more relief supplies will be transported to the crisis-hit region in order to provide the dedicated helpers with urgently needed materials."

Cologne Bonn Airport actively supports the work of WFP. To this end, a bonded warehouse in which over 300 tons of relief supplies can be temporarily stored is made available by the airport to the Logistics Cluster free of charge. On a warehouse area of around 3000 sqm, airport employees will group and pack the supplied commodity contributions for safe air transport. "WFP and the Logistics Cluster render tremendously important work. To us, it is a matter of course to support this work and make our contribution to helping people in need," said Michael Garvens, Chairman of the Board of Flughafen Köln/Bonn GmbH.

About the Logistics Cluster
The Logistics Cluster is a group of humanitarian organizations who work together to ensure an efficient and effective logistics response takes place in every emergency operation. With extensive expertise and capacity in humanitarian logistics, WFP has accepted the role and responsibility of Lead Agency of the Logistics Cluster. http://www.logcluster.

About UN World Food Programme 
WFP is the world's largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide, delivering food assistance in emergencies and working with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience. In 2013, WFP assisted more than 80 million people in 75 countries. http://www.wfp.

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