4 hours ago
From fans to diapers to canes, the supplies are meeting urgent needs at evacuation shelters
Photo by Scott Marder/American Red CrossIn the wake of Typhoon Halong, hundreds of families don’t know when they’ll be able to go home, as the typhoon swept their houses into the sea, crumbled roads, and left the coastal villages of Kipnuk and Kwigillingok unrecognizable.
In response to the devastating impact of Typhoon Halong, Amazon is repurposing our strengths in delivery to help the American Red Cross support impacted communities in western Alaska. Acting quickly, Amazon donated and delivered more than 6,800 emergency supplies to the Red Cross in a milestone Amazon Air flight from Seattle that arrived in Anchorage during the early hours of Oct. 19.
The flight marked Amazon's first to Alaska for disaster relief. The special cargo aboard included bottles, diapers, and pack-and-plays to support families with babies and mobility assistance equipment such as canes and walkers to support elderly or disabled residents—who are among the most vulnerable impacted by the catastrophic typhoon. Equipment such as coffee makers, towels, and box fans will additionally enable the Red Cross to stock shelters for evacuees, who are facing long-term displacement from their coastal homes.
“Our response reflects what we've learned through years of disaster relief work: Speed and partnership save lives. That's exactly what our teams did alongside the American Red Cross to deliver this critical Amazon Air flight to Alaska and bring essential supplies to those who need them most," said Amazon’s Head of Disaster Relief Abe Diaz.
The emergency supplies were ready to go to Anchorage within hours of the typhoon from one of Amazon’s newest hubs in California. The California hub is one of 15 Disaster Relief hubs positioned near disaster-prone areas around the world to provide aid to communities within hours.
Amazon's continued partnership with the Red Cross
Amazon has served as a go-to partner to the Red Cross for more than seven years, with each organization using their strengths to help people recover as quickly as possible after a disaster strikes. As the cold winter arrives in Alaska, the Red Cross reports that some remote villages will be unlivable with no power, running water, or access to food stores from hunting and fishing.
“The American Red Cross, our volunteers, and partners are working day and night to deliver help and hope to communities devastated by the storms and floods in Alaska,” said Cliff Holtz, president and chief executive officer of the American Red Cross. “We are grateful to Amazon for their generous donation of supplies and logistics support, which allowed us to quickly and efficiently establish shelters in Anchorage and provide vital assistance to affected communities.”
Amazon’s ongoing commitment to disaster relief
Since 2017, Amazon has donated and delivered more than 26 million relief items to support people impacted by more than 200 disasters worldwide. Learn more about our disaster relief efforts.
