New Delhi, Aug 12, 2024: Amazon India has set up 4 disaster hubs to deliver urgent relief material in less than 72 hours.
These hubs are strategically located in the North, South, East, and West regions in the states of Haryana, Telangana, Maharashtra, and a temporary hub in West Bengal, respectively, enabling Amazon to swiftly mobilize resources and support communities affected by natural disasters like floods, cyclones, cold waves, etc.
The locations of these hubs in Thane, Faridabad, Hyderabad and Purba Bardhanam have been strategically identified keeping network optimization in mind and developed by a team of experts at Amazon Transportation Services.
These hubs will mobilize relief material faster, more effectively to 1,20,000 people at the same time, according to a press release issued by the company. Amazon’s over 700 middle mile transportation partners will help deliver relief material to communities across the country.
Amazon India is responding to the floods in several parts of India due to heavy rainfall this year. As part of the ongoing relief efforts, Amazon has delivered 10,890 shelter kits to the affected communities supporting over 10,000 families across 34 districts. Each relief kit includes essential items such as tarpaulin sheets, ropes, bathing and washing soaps, dental kits, buckets, mosquito nets, and sanitary pads. Additionally, 5,742 ration kits containing dry food items were also distributed.
In preparation for the annual monsoon season, Amazon had pre-positioned these shelter kits, ensuring that aid reaches impacted communities at relief camps, shelters, schools and hospitals quickly when disaster strikes. These kits are tailored to meet critical needs and are stored in 19 x 15 x 15” cartons for quick deployment.
Amazon’s relief efforts were mobilized in less than 72 hours through the establishment of the four disaster hubs across India to ensure rapid and effective disaster response.
Anita Kumar, Head Amazon Community Impact, India and APAC, said, “At Amazon, we understand the urgent needs of communities and local stakeholders in case of disasters of any kind. We are committed to stand by the people most affected and ready to provide all possible disaster relief material at the earliest. As one of the early responders for many disasters, wellbeing of communities has always been among our top priorities. Our disaster relief efforts are guided by our extensive logistic network, warehousing expertise and our collaborative approach to work closely with non-profit partners, dedicated relief workers, and selfless volunteers on ground. The loss of lives and property during such events deeply saddens us and it is our intention to scale our support through these disaster hubs.”
Till Aug 1, Amazon has committed 18,200 relief kits containing supplies of all types – food, non-food, shelter items, and have utilized 45% of the pre-stocked supplies at the hubs for the year in response to, severed monsoon flooding across the Southwest & Northeast regions and the most recent landslides in Kerala, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. This proactive approach has enabled Amazon to respond within 72 hours of receiving requests from grassroots partners, including non-profit organizations, Inter-Agency Groups, and State Disaster Management Authorities.
To date, Amazon has successfully responded to 67 unique requests, from our grassroots partners on the ground – typically nonprofit organizations, Inter-Agency Groups, State Disaster Management Authorities or other volunteers require these items; demonstrating its commitment to community welfare and disaster readiness.
Through pre-positioned kits and collaboration with local partners, efforts are made to mitigate the effects of seasonal disasters, particularly those caused by heavy rainfall and cyclones.
