AMD & USAID: A Unique Partnership Provides Critical Humanitarian Support

MIRAMAR, Fla. - Dec. 18, 2015 - PRLog -- AMD joined the Syrian Humanitarian Relief effort in 2015, committing to deliver 1 Million Adult Hygiene Kits and Regular Hygiene Kits to displaced persons by the end of the year. This is the story of the positive impact the AMD and USAID partnership has had on those most affected by the Syrian conflict.

The human face of conflict

Around the world violent conflict is the root cause of displaced families. When the Syrian conflict began in late 2011, it quickly led to the displacement of 11M people with no access to basic hygiene supplies. With the U.S. involvement in providing aid to Syria, American Medical Depot (AMD) was afforded an opportunity to lend its global supply chain expertise in distributing supplies for the relief.

In 2015 AMD partnered with the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) and the USAID Office of Federal Disaster Assistance to support the humanitarian relief effort in Syria and bordering countries. AMD’s primary objective was to pay attention to what is often overlooked in the midst of chaos — caring for people’s basic human needs. This includes providing everyday necessities such as soap, toothbrushes/toothpaste, shampoo, sanitary towels, and laundry detergent.

Restoring a sense of humanity

AMD always looks to solve intimidating challenges. When the U.S. government announced it was allocating $141M for the relief effort towards medical supplies, clothing & textiles, construction and engineering services, AMD developed a plan that would provide supplies quickly. AMD worked with the DLA to develop a procurement solution that would allow the government to seamlessly purchase quality supplies and have them quickly delivered to displaced persons around the conflict zone.

AMD’s ability to ramp up and support this relief initiative is based on its experience working with the DLA in Service to the Department of Defense. As an agent of the U.S. government, AMD is well-equipped to produce Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM) emergency supplies.

In October 2015, AMD deployed feet on the ground in Turkey. AMD President, Akhil Agrawal, and Florida Congressman Kendrick Meek traveled to Turkey to show support, and meet with key stakeholders for coordinating the packaging and delivery of essential hygiene products to Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon, and Kuwait City.

AMD’s impact

One of AMD’s most meaningful contributions to this project has been rapid response, which is a direct result of a dominant footprint in the industry. AMD goes beyond the role of a vendor to the government, and instead partners with U.S. government entities to resolve significant challenges that affect entire communities.

Another positive result of the project has been AMD’s ability to create jobs locally and abroad. With headquarters in Miramar, FL AMD has created nearly 40 jobs over the past year. Growing TeamAMD has effectively positioned the company to meet delivery milestones and help those in need.

Rebuilding shattered communities

When disaster strikes, it is fundamental to restore a sense of self to those affected, and protect basic human dignity. Each day at AMD, staff commits to helping those in crisis do just that. They set out to save lives and always remember the human factor in emergency situations.

(For more information on the Syrian relief effort, please visit http://www.unicef.org/emergencies/syria/).