Due to extreme weather conditions, large parts of Central and Eastern Europe are currently affected or threatened by flooding. Amazon has mobilised our logistics infrastructure, inventory, teams and technology to provide rapid assistance in crisis areas across the region, including Austria, Czechia, Poland, Romania and Slovakia.
Rapidly deploying relief supplies
Relief supplies are being shipped to communities in need via our European Disaster Relief Hub, which launched in March and is Amazon’s first disaster relief centre in the region. The Hub is located within our DUS2 fulfilment centre in Rheinberg, Germany, in close proximity to major international airports and transport networks. It is stocked with 1,000 pallets of prepositioned relief supplies, enabling us to quickly deliver humanitarian aid to partner organisations throughout Europe in less than 72 hours.
Partnering with relief organisations
We are coordinating with partners, such as national Red Cross chapters and community emergency response teams, to confirm how we can best help crisis-impacted areas. Within the first few days of flood activity, our sites in Poland mobilised to donate relief items and have been serving hot meals for people displaced by flooding. Additionally, we are sending three truckloads of critical supplies to Poland, Czechia and Slovakia over the next five days to support Red Cross relief efforts in each country. The shipments include more than 16,000 items, such as blankets, sleeping bags, cots, hygiene kits, flashlights and power banks.
“Amazon remains steadfast in our commitment to being a good neighbour. When natural disasters strike, we understand the urgency of providing immediate relief and support to those affected,” said Alice Shobe, global director of Amazon Community Impact. “By collaborating with trusted partners like the Red Cross, we’re able to rapidly activate our disaster response efforts to deliver essential supplies and resources to impacted regions to help communities rebuild and recover during their most trying times.”
Our teams are working to get clothing, household supplies and other relief items to families in need. This is being facilitated through direct product donations and monetary contributions. Given the critical situation across the region, we’re donating €125,000 to the Red Cross to support emergency relief efforts in Austria, Czechia, Poland and Slovakia and we are contributing an additional €100,000 to local non-governmental organisations (NGOs) through the Amazon Gives Grants programme. We’re also leveraging our local fulfilment centre in Sosnowiec, Poland, to provide temporary warehouse and distribution support for the Polish Red Cross. Additionally, Amazon customers in Germany and Poland now have the option of donating to the Polish Red Cross to support flood-impacted areas via a donation campaign set up on amazon.de and amazon.pl
Providing advanced technology support
In addition to deploying relief items, we’re leveraging advanced technology and expertise to help community partners assess on-the-ground needs in Poland. Specifically, we are working with Help.NGO, an international NGO and United Nations standby partner that specialises in emergency response, to support government teams that are working in the region. Together, Amazon and Help.NGO will utilise uncrewed aircraft systems (drones) to map and assess flooding caused by Storm Boris, capturing high-resolution images of affected areas to aid responding organisations in rescue operations and relief efforts.
Additionally, based on their assessments, Help.NGO will set up food trucks to support displaced communities by providing free beverages, meals, power for device charging and internet connectivity. The collaborative efforts between Amazon and Help.NGO aim to provide vital assistance and resources to those impacted by flooding.
Aiding communities impact by national disasters
Amazon now operates 14 Disaster Relief Hubs globally. Since 2017, we have donated over 24 million relief items to support more than 160 disasters worldwide. In just the last 24 months, we have responded to natural disasters across the world, including flooding in Brazil, wildfires in Chile, Colombia, Australia and Hawaii, earthquakes in Japan, Türkiye, Syria and Morocco and hurricanes and cyclones in Puerto Rico, Florida and India.
We will continue working with local authorities and community organisations to assess and identify needs as clean-up efforts begin across Central and Eastern Europe so we can expedite aid to impacted regions. Learn more about Amazon’s Disaster Relief and Response efforts.
