Editor’s Note: Want to help? The American Red Cross, American Logistics Aid Network, Hawaiʻi Community Foundation and Maui Food Bank are accepting donations.
Carriers and companies continue to join widespread disaster relief efforts after a wildfire ravaged the town of Lāhainā on Maui earlier this month.
FedEx has delivered medicine, shelter, hygiene kits, food, water and other equipment to Maui on behalf of disaster organizations, according to the company’s website. The carrier supports disaster relief organizations through its Delivering for Good program, including the American Red Cross, Direct Relief, Team Rubicon and World Central Kitchen.
“FedEx is maintaining frequent communication with them to ensure that our resources are deployed most effectively,” according to a statement.
Between Aug. 15 and Aug. 18, FedEx has transported Unite to Light power banks, four pallets of cooking supplies like coolers, spices, aluminum pans and lids for Operation BBQ Relief, two pallets of hygiene kits for Heart to Heart International, and 57 shipments on behalf of World Central Kitchen. Items include communication equipment, cooking supplies, tents and more, according to FedEx’s Q3 disaster response update.
Amazon Air is aiding Amazon’s larger relief efforts and has shipped critical supplies to Hawaiʻi through its Disaster Relief services, according to a blog post. As of Aug. 15, Amazon has donated and shipped 3,400 items, such as tents, solar lights and hygiene kits to Feeding America. The e-commerce company also sent 20,000 utensil kits in partnerhsip with Operation BBQ Relief.
On Aug. 16, a United Airlines 777 aircraft departed Chicago with 24,000 pounds of relief supplies for Maui, the carrier told Supply Chain Dive in an email. The shipment, which was arranged through global humanitarian organization Airlink and nonprofit Convoy of Hope, included baby formula, canned soup, baby care kits, socks, canned pasta and more.
The cargo was specifically requested by Convoy of Hope local partner Kings Cathedral Church, according to United Airlines.
On the port side, the Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation is waiving wharfage charges for inbound cargo supporting humanitarian efforts at the Kahului Harbor, according to an Aug. 11 notice from the state DOT. The charge will be waived though Sept. 11.
“Port entry and dockage for vessels displaced by the disaster will also be waived,” according to the notice.
Maui’s town of Lāhainā, which was formerly Hawaiʻi’s capital for more than 50 years, was turned to ash this month after winds from Hurricane Dora fueled deadly wildfires that displaced thousands of community members. The death toll reached 115 as of Aug. 21, according to a statement from the Maui Police Department. Currently, all fires are mostly contained with “no active fire threats at this time,” the County of Maui said in a statement.
