FedEx Express donates aid supply flights to UNICEF

In response to famine in Somalia:

In response to the famine in Somalia, FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. and the world's largest express transportation company, has delivered approximately 91 metric tons (200,000 pounds) of high-nutrient food to Nairobi, Kenya.

The charitable initiative was organized in collaboration with UNICEF with the aim of offering life-saving assistance to severely malnourished children in south and central Somalia.

To complete the large-scale humanitarian mission, FedEx used a Boeing 777F aircraft. The relief aid shipment coincided with the company's announcement to donate an additional 777F relief flight.

The in-kind donations currently make FedEx the single largest provider of philanthropic air lifts of aid for UNICEF in response to the famine in Somalia.

Together the loads will treat over 6,000 severely malnourished children and provide fortified food for 4,000 families for two weeks.

The Boeing 777F aircraft departed Paris Saturday evening and arrived in Nairobi the following morning. The state-of-the-art, fuel-efficient aircraft is the world's largest twin-engine cargo aircraft.

With a larger payload capacity, the 777F aircraft provides a greater injection of aid in a single trip than many other airplanes.

The modern 777F carries 14,000 more pounds of goods and also uses 18% less fuel than the MD-11, making it an efficient way to deliver aid when disaster strikes. UNICEF is currently transporting the aid into Somalia, ensuring that the relief shipment reaches those children most deeply affected by the crisis.

FedEx Express maintains a longstanding commitment to disaster relief. The company donated more than five million pounds (approximately 2,300 tons) of charitable shipping last year alone.