Hamburg-based Jungheinrich AG will donate a new reach truck for use in the action medeor drug warehouse in Tönisvorst (North Rhine-Westphalia). With this custom-made forklift, Jungheinrich will assist Europe’s largest medical aid organization in the rapid and effective transportation of urgently needed pharmaceuticals and food to drought and hunger victims in East Africa, numbering over 12 million according to the United Nations.

Experts do not expect the humanitarian situation in the Ethiopia-Somalia-Kenya tri-border region to improve before 2012. The successful combatting of the hunger crisis at the Horn of Africa requires long-term and coordinated aid. Providing assistance over the long term is the prime objective of the action medeor medical aid organization. President Heinz Gommans is grateful for Jungheinrich’s support: “Problem-free logistics is one of the keys to transporting and shipping pharmaceuticals.” Since the onset of the severe famine, action medeor has shipped 633 parcels and 17 tons of medical supplies. “But it will take many more aid shipments for the people on site to receive lasting assistance within the scope of long-term projects,” says Mr. Gommans, describing the persistent challenges with which the affected region is faced. “The new Jungheinrich forklift truck will help us load the life-saving medication more quickly and efficiently,” the president claims happily.

The Hamburg-based intralogistics specialist has been supporting charitable organizations with truck donations for a large number of years. Sustainability is always important to Jungheinrich in this respect and an integral component of the company’s strategy: “Beyond our commitment to education, science and environmental protection, we aim to use our material handling equipment and know-how in the field of intralogistics to make a contribution to social and economic development. It is thus logical for us to support a committed aid organization like action medeor,” says Hans-Georg Frey, Chairman of the Board of Management of Jungheinrich AG.

Jungheinrich ranks among the world’s leading companies in the material handling equipment, warehousing and material flow engineering sectors. The company is an intralogistics service and solution provider with manufacturing operations, which offers its customers a comprehensive range of forklift trucks, shelving systems, services and advice. Jungheinrich shares are traded on all German stock exchanges.

The German medical aid organization action medeor e.V. was established in 1964 by Dr. Ernst Boekels in order to supply people in need in developing countries with basic drugs and medical equipment. Today, action medeor is the largest European medical aid organization and works with local partners to supply approximately 10,000 health stations with pharmaceuticals and medical equipment in 140 countries.