Helping The Humanitarian Effort During A Pandemic

[Global Rescue]

Medical and security operations for Global Rescue consumer and enterprise members often focus on individual advisory and evacuation. But there’s another side to the Global Rescue mission that isn’t often highlighted. Our crisis management services include supporting the humanitarian efforts initiated by partners, clients and key stakeholders.

Our track record includes more than 20,000 operations worldwide saving lives and protecting our members. These include evacuations during some of the world’s most challenging crises, including the earthquake in Haiti and now the COVID-19 pandemic. In each instance, Global Rescue supported a variety of humanitarian efforts.

When earthquakes struck Haiti, Global Rescue provided needed cargo space on board private aircraft for food, water and medical supplies coming into the county. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Global Rescue assisted enterprise clients delivering humanitarian assistance here and abroad.

When the coronavirus sparked in China, government and medical officials took quick steps to shut down businesses, cities and travel to contain the outbreak. But the effort also crippled the country’s ability to scale production of medical supplies such as protective masks and decontamination suits since local plants didn’t have enough time to ramp up production.

When aid was offered by a Global Rescue enterprise client, we provided essential sourcing, acquisition and delivery expertise. It sounds simple, but when officials from multiple international governments and health organizations are simultaneously locking down borders and issuing restrictions on movement by air and ground resources – it gets a lot more challenging.

The Global Rescue operations and intelligence teams tapped their vast experience and deep network of contacts to provide logistics, help obtain permits and secure authorization to acquire and transport aid to support families affected or displaced by the virus.

More than $1 million worth of humanitarian relief materials, including face masks, gowns and sanitizer, were sourced, shipped and delivered across several international borders.

Global Rescue provided additional humanitarian initiative support when the same client donated $2.5 million in aid for public schools and food insecurity relief efforts in Chicago, Illinois as the effects of the coronavirus pandemic took hold. The contribution includes $1 million for schools, which will be closed through April 20 and $1.5 million for the food bank, according to Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot. The donations will help make meals available at more than 500 temporary school food distribution sites for 355,000 students.

The COVID-19 pandemic was unprecedented, but that’s what Global Rescue prepares for.