DHL Global Forwarding, the air and ocean freight specialist of Deutsche Post DHL Group, announced today that leading global water technology company, Xylem, has chosen DHL Global Forwarding as their primary logistics provider for humanitarian relief activities delivered through its corporate social responsibility program, Xylem Watermark. The two global companies will work together and leverage their extensive experience and footprint across the globe to bring aid to those areas that need it most following water-related natural disasters and crises.
“We are excited to officially announce our newest partnership with Xylem Watermark to continue to help with our resilient logistics expertise and extensive footprint to respond to disasters around the globe,” said David Goldberg, CEO, DHL Global Forwarding US. “The impact and urgency of natural disasters is increasingly evident, and we are looking forward to working with Xylem Watermark on deploying equipment and aid on the ground, quickly and efficiently, where needed most.”
“This partnership brings a potent combination of capabilities to help communities deal with water crises when natural disasters strike,” said Joe Vesey, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at Xylem, and Chair of Xylem Watermark. “We bring the technologies that can deal with the inundation of flood waters, or the restoration of safe, clean drinking water. But our technology only helps if it gets there quickly. DHL’s role is essential to making our water solutions matter in a humanitarian crisis.”
DHL Global Forwarding and Xylem Watermark have previously joined forces to provide disaster relief to communities in times of crisis. In the aftermath of Cyclone Idai, in Zimbabwe, DHL Global Forwarding and Xylem Watermark worked together to freight dewatering pumps from India through South Africa to the affected communities. In addition, the shipment of Xylem equipment from Hong Kong to Zimbabwe’s Chimanimani region which Xylem personnel deployed, on the ground, provided clean water to a camp housing 200 displaced residents and a rural medical clinic serving nearly 10,000 patients daily, reducing the proliferation of water borne diseases such as ARI, malaria, diarrhea and cholera.
DHL Global Forwarding and Xylem Watermark also united efforts following India’s 2019 Monsoon, when they partnered to provide humanitarian assistance to 227,000 displaced individuals in relief camps. Together, they quickly coordinated responses, decreasing logistics response times by up to 60%. As part of the coordinated efforts, Xylem Watermark and DHL Global Forwarding transported potable clean water systems and dewatering pumps from Johannesburg to strategic locations in India’s Karnataka state, supplying clean water for up to 76,000 residents daily. Additionally, five schools in the region received clean drinking water through filtration and solar pumping, benefitting over 5,000 students.
The latest commercial expansion in the partnership between Xylem Watermark and DHL Global Forwarding solidifies the two companies’ ongoing humanitarian efforts, taking advantage of DHL’s and Xylem Watermark’s experience in helping support recovery and relief efforts to communities facing dire crises around the world.