4.28.2008 - 10:05am ET

(CSRwire) PORTLAND, OR - April 28, 2008 - DHL, the express and logistics company, has teamed up with the global relief and development agency Mercy Corps to send $9.6 million worth of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies to southern Iraq. The emergency supplies will be distributed to hospitals in Iraqi cities that are short on resources and near the frontlines of recent fighting. Mercy Corps expects that the shipment will help 140,000 people get improved medical care.

DHL Express in Asia, Europe and the Middle East worked in tandem to contribute expenses and handle the cross-border transport of the shipment from the Netherlands to Kuwait. From Kuwait, where the shipment arrived on April 27, Mercy Corps expects to deliver the supplies into Iraq by the first week of May.

The shipment will be distributed to hospitals in Kut, Diwaniyah, Basra and Amarah that are treating large numbers of wounded and victims of trauma, as well as patients with infections and water-borne diseases. The shipment includes antibacterial drugs, medicines to fight infections and parasites, anesthetics and diuretics, as well as gauze, surgical blades, examination gloves, needles and syringes.

"Many hospitals in the south have depleted their stocks of medicines and other supplies so this shipment is critical," said Paul Butler, Mercy Corps’ Iraq country director. "Logistics can be a major barrier to emergency relief, especially in volatile places like Iraq. We’re grateful to DHL Express for helping us get resources to people in dire need."

Dan McHugh, CEO of DHL Express - Asia Pacific, said, "At DHL, our core competence is logistics. Together with our colleagues in DHL Express Europe and DHL Express Emerging Markets, we are proud to utilize our extensive global reach to help Mercy Corps successfully deliver relief to communities, in this hour of need, in the fastest and most efficient way possible. DHL Express is committed to using our logistics expertise to provide assistance to the international community’s humanitarian missions."

The humanitarian situation has deteriorated in southern Iraq since late March, when fighting erupted between the Shia cleric Maqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army and Iraqi and US forces. Hundreds have been killed, and despite a ceasefire, fighting continues in parts of southern cities.

Mercy Corps has spent the past month responding to emergency needs. In Basra, the agency has distributed more than 1.8 million liters of water and food parcels to 3,400 poor families. In Wassit province and its capital Kut, Mercy Corps is helping to rebuild essential infrastructure like the electricity grid, and to jumpstart neglected services like water provision and garbage collection.

Mercy Corps has provided humanitarian assistance to millions of Iraqis since 2003. The agency works in northern and southern Iraq, and focuses on offering assistance and opportunities to vulnerable populations such as women, people with disabilities and people who are internally displaced. In addition, Mercy Corps leads reconstruction, economic development, and education programs throughout Iraq.

Companies with extensive global reach, such as DHL, play a crucial role in connecting the dots on the world map in times of need, to ensure that relief reaches affected communities in the fastest and most efficient way. Disaster relief is part of DHL's corporate sustainability approach, which focuses on people, communities and environment in the countries where it operates. It is a key part of the company's business strategy and long-term success.

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps works amid disasters, conflicts, chronic poverty and instability to unleash the potential of people who can win against nearly impossible odds. Since 1979, Mercy Corps has provided $1.3 billion in assistance to people in 100 nations. Supported by headquarters offices in North America and Europe, the agency's unified global programs employ 3,400 staff worldwide and reach nearly 14.4 million people in more than 35 countries. www.mercycorps.org

About DHL

DHL is the global market leader of the international express and logistics industry, specializing in providing innovative and customized solutions from a single source.

DHL offers expertise in express, air and ocean freight, overland transport, contract logistic solutions as well as international mail services, combined with worldwide coverage and an in-depth understanding of local markets. DHL's international network links more than 225 countries and territories worldwide. Some 300,000 employees, including more than 40,000 employees in the U.S., are dedicated to providing fast and reliable services that exceed customers' expectations.

Founded in San Francisco in 1969, DHL is a Deutsche Post World Net brand. The group generated revenues of more than 63 billion euros (more than $93 billion) in 2007. www.dhl.com

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