DUBAI — FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp and the world’s largest express transportation company, has committed to donate critical medical supplies, including Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and face masks to healthcare workers and first responders working on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic in local communities across the Middle East, Indian Subcontinent and Africa (MEISA) region. The donation comes amidst continued high demand for PPE as the COVID-19 pandemic evolves.

FedEx has joined forces with the United Way of Mumbai in India, a non-profit organization, and donated monthly medical supplies for more than 300 healthcare workers at government hospitals in Maharashtra. The supplies include PPE kits, Nitrile gloves and three-ply facemasks. Similarly, FedEx is working with the SAME Foundation in South Africa and has donated three electronic beds that can be used for patients with acute respiratory issues, in addition to providing PPE kits to medical facilities across the country.

In the UAE, FedEx has provided logistics support to distribute protective headbands from a grassroots community group to more than 1,100 healthcare workers across Dubai. During Ramadan, the company also contributed to the 10 million meals campaign launched by Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, in collaboration with Social Solidarity Fund Against COVID-19, by donating 4,000 meals to families and individuals affected by the pandemic in the UAE, before the campaign concluded on May 15, 2020.

These initiatives are in addition to the broader FedEx Cares campaign, a program designed to benefit local communities. In addition to monetary donations, each year team members participate in a number of volunteer activities across the region. Between June 2019 and March 2020, more than 3,000 FedEx and TNT team members across the MEISA region took part in over 100 community outreach activities, spread across 10 countries and more than 40 cities.

The activities included blood donation and clean up drives in the Middle East, road safety awareness sessions across Southern Africa, and distribution of tote bags containing hygiene kits to the underserved and working with Habitat for Humanity to paint houses in India. Through these community outreach programs, team members across MEISA volunteered more than 8,700 hours to positively impact the lives of nearly 10,000 individuals.

“FedEx is proud to play an active role in improving lives and creating possibilities, whether it's by donating critical relief supplies or helping locally through our volunteering initiatives. We are committed to supporting the communities in which we live and work,” said Jack Muhs, regional president, FedEx Express Middle East, Indian Subcontinent and Africa.

FedEx Cares in MEISA complements a wide range of activities taking place globally. Last year, FedEx announced the next stage of its global community engagement program, FedEx Cares 50 by 50, whereby the company aims to positively impact 50 million people around the world by the company’s 50th anniversary in 2023. — SG