More than 60 tons of humanitarian aid were transported free of charge bythe LATAM Group in Latin America through its Solidarity Plane program, benefiting morethan 3,000 refugees assisted by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. This milestone is part ofthe first anniversary of the partnership between the two parties.
The Cargo subsidiaries mobilized humanitarian aid in three countries in the region: Panama, Brazil and Chile. In the case of Panama, in early June, a historical transportationtook place: 600 tents, equivalent to 40 tons, were carried from Colombia to Panama byLATAM Cargo Colombia, for use as temporary shelters for thousands of refugees arriving inthe region.
In Brazil, the Group transported 48 refugee housing units for approximately 190 people, inaddition to more than seven tons of hygiene products, diapers and clothes for refugees inthe country. In Chile, it transported 2 tons of waterproof plastic tarpaulins to be used inthe emergency shelters set up by UNHCR.
“In just over a year of partnership with UNHCR, we have intensively supported the freetransportation of humanitarian aid and the large-scale shipment from Colombia to Panamais proof of this. The Solidarity Plane program allows us to make ourselves available tosociety and work together to get closer every day to the communities where we operate.We hope to continue promoting our interest in being a social, environmental and economicasset for the region” said Johanna Cabrera, LATAM’s Chief Sustainability Officer.
“The partnership with LATAM has been key to providing humanitarian assistance andservices to refugees. On this World Refugee Day, dedicated to hope and inclusion, weinvite other companies to join this process in order to promote a safe, dignified and stablelife for the displaced population in their host communities,”says José Samaniego, UNHCRRegional Director for the Americas.
According to recent UN data, there are more than 100 million people who have beendisplaced and forced to leave their homes, 41% of them are children.