Shipping firm leverages global logistics network to aid vulnerable communities worldwide
Continuous support entering sixth year since 2021
This year's efforts span Turkey, Cambodia and beyond
HMM announced Thursday that it will sponsor the international shipment of relief supplies for vulnerable people and refugees in Lebanon.
A cargo-loading ceremony was held at the Nepa Smart Logistics Center in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, with about 10 representatives from HMM, human rights NGO Human Asia and outdoor apparel brand Nepa in attendance.
The relief effort is being carried out in partnership with Human Asia and Nepa, a leading South Korean outdoor brand. Nepa will provide winter clothing worth 2 billion won ($1.49 million), while HMM will cover the full shipping route for the relief cargo.
Two 40-foot containers of supplies will travel from Incheon Port to Shanghai Port in China aboard the HMM Topaz, then be transshipped onto the HMM Jade for onward transport to Piraeus Port in Greece, before continuing by feeder vessel to Beirut Port in Lebanon.
HMM began sponsoring international relief shipments for domestic NGOs that struggled to secure cargo space during the global logistics disruptions caused by COVID-19 in 2021, and has continued the program for six consecutive years.
This year alone, the company has worked with Human Asia, Good Neighbors and other organizations to support shipments for vulnerable communities in Jordan, Turkey, Cambodia and elsewhere. In the fourth quarter, HMM plans to carry out an additional maritime shipment of clothing and general goods to Vietnam in partnership with Good Neighbors, a global NGO specializing in children's rights.
HMM structures its corporate social responsibility activities around three pillars: E (Environment), S (Social) and G (Global). Under the Global pillar, the company leverages the nature of the shipping industry to sponsor maritime transport of international relief supplies and runs charitable activities through its overseas subsidiaries. In addition, HMM consistently participates in a range of global social contribution efforts, including delivering emergency relief funds when major disasters or national crises occur at home and abroad.
"Contributing to the international community by utilizing the global logistics network that is the essence of the shipping industry is a meaningful social responsibility we must fulfill as a national carrier," an HMM official said. "We will continue to practice global ESG management that delivers hope to people around the world."
Meanwhile, HMM has been carrying out a variety of social contribution activities to fulfill its corporate responsibilities, including recently hosting a plogging campaign called "Blooming" along the Han River park in Yeouido, Seoul, in which employees and citizens participated together.
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