What does it take to transport 100,000 pairs of winter boots to Ukraine?
Airlink’s Director of Communications, Andrew Williams, speaks with Brigid McKeon (Airlink), Ian Rodgers (USA for UNHCR), and David Ashley (Flexport) about overcoming a variety of challenges to make one of Airlink’s largest shipments of aid to Ukraine possible in cooperation with three Airlink partners: USA for UNHCR, Flexport, and Bearpaw.
In November 2022, Airlink teamed up with USA for UNHCR, Flexport, and Bearpaw to airlift 100,000 pairs of winter Boots to Ukraine. The boots, which are fitted for men, women, and children, will be distributed to families in five regions across the country. Airlink coordinated the logistics of this shipment to make sure the boots arrived in-country as quickly as possible in anticipation of the coming winter and as humanitarian conditions continue to deteriorate. An estimated 17 million Ukrainians require aid. Priced at a retail value of $8 million, the donation of boots is expected to cover 20-25 percent of the population’s identified needs. In this discussion, Andrew Williams (Airlink) speaks with Brigid McKeon (Airlink), Ian Rodgers (USA for UNHCR), and David Ashley (Flexport) about the following: overcoming current supply chain blockages to make this shipment happen, the critical need for coordination and cooperation between public and private organizations to meet needs in Ukraine, and the essential role logistics plays in responding to crises and disasters.
