The donations will be used to distribute food and life-saving medicines across the country.
Over 10,000 individuals, including Uber delivery and driver partners and members of the larger community, will receive dry-ration packs containing daily essentials for a family of four.
In addition, 15 rural hospitals serving over 30,000 individuals will receive emergency medication and related supplies purchased directly from international suppliers.
The partnership was announced by Uber’s visiting global executive, Saskia de Jongh, Regional General Manager for Delivery in the APAC region, and Jagath Abeysinghe, President, Sri Lanka Red Cross Society, who were joined by Bhavna Dadlani Jayawardena, General Manager, Uber Sri Lanka, and Kumari Kothalawala, Branch Executive Officer Chairman, Sri Lanka Red Cross Society, Colombo Branch.
Sharing her views on the partnership, Saskia de Jongh, Regional General Manager for Delivery, Uber APAC, said,
“We are committed to helping Sri Lanka and the communities that we serve.
We recognize this is a difficult time for the country, and we are pleased to be able to support it via this partnership with the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society.
Sri Lanka and its people are full of potential, and both will emerge stronger from this crisis.”
Commenting on the partnership, Jagath Abeysinghe, President of Sri Lanka Red Cross Society, said,
“Uber has embarked on a timely initiative to assist the most vulnerable people of Sri Lanka by providing financial assistance during this economic crisis.
The trust in Sri Lanka Red Cross Society to deliver their aspirations prove that the Society has continued to work for the most vulnerable in its time of need.
Such partnerships as this are vital.”
Uber Sri Lanka and the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society partnered during the pandemic to support the country’s vaccination drive.
Uber donated 50,000 free rides to the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society for transporting frontline healthcare workers, elderly and citizens from vulnerable communities to vaccination hubs.
About Uber
Uber's mission is to create opportunity through movement.
We started in 2010 to solve a simple problem: how do you get access to a ride at the touch of a button?
More than 15 billion trips later, we're building products to get people closer to where they want to be.
By changing how people, food, and things move through cities, Uber is a platform that opens up the world to new possibilities.
About Sri Lanka Red Cross Society
The Sri Lanka Red Cross Society has been carrying out operations since 1936 and is the country's largest humanitarian organization.
With an expansive volunteer network across 25 districts, it aims to build resilience, alleviate the suffering of vulnerable communities, and create a safer environment for those exposed to disasters, emergencies and social exclusion.