Flooding in Central and Eastern Europe: What Amazon is doing to help

Due to extreme weather conditions, large parts of Central and Eastern Europe are currently affected or threatened by flooding. Amazon has mobilized our global logistics infrastructure, inventory, teams, and technology to provide rapid assistance in crisis areas across the region, including Austria, Czechia, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia.

Rapidly deploying relief supplies

We have activated our Disaster Relief Hub in Germany to deploy donated goods and logistics support. Launched in March, the Hub is the first disaster relief center located in Europe at our fulfilment center in Rheinberg, which is in close proximity to major international airports and transport networks. The Hub enables Amazon to quickly deliver humanitarian aid to partner organizations supporting communities affected by natural disasters across the region, within 72 hours. The Hub is stocked with 1,000 pallets of prepositioned relief supplies, which can be shipped to international partner organizations throughout Europe in less than 72 hours.

Partnering with relief organizations

We are closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with partners, like national Red Cross chapters and community emergency response teams, to confirm how we can best help crisis impacted areas. Our teams are prepared to ship Amazon-donated items such as sheltering equipment and flood management supplies. Within the first few days of flood activity, Amazon sites in Poland mobilized to donate relief items and have been serving hot meals for locally displaced community members. Additionally, we are sending three truckloads of critical supplies to Poland, Czechia, and Slovakia over the next five days to support Red Cross relief efforts in each country. The more than 16,000 donated items, include blankets, sleeping bags, cots, hygiene kits, flashlights, and power banks.

An ambulance in Austria parks along a bridge where there is flooding.

“Amazon remains steadfast in our commitment to being a good neighbor. When natural disasters strike, we understand the urgency of providing immediate relief and support to those affected,” said Alice Shobe, global director of Amazon Community Impact. “By collaborating with trusted partners like the Red Cross, we’re able to rapidly activate our disaster response efforts to deliver essential supplies and resources to impacted regions to help communities rebuild and recover during their most trying times.”

Our teams are working with global procurement organizations and retail leaders to get clothing, household supplies, and other relief items to families in need. This is being facilitated through direct product donations or monetary contributions. Given the critical situation across the region, Amazon is donating €125,000 euros to the Red Cross to support emergency relief efforts in Austria, Czechia, Poland and Slovakia. We are also contributing an additional €100,000 to local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) through the Amazon Gives Grants program. We’re also leveraging our local fulfillment center in Sosnowiec, Poland to providing temporary warehouse and distribution support for Polish Red Cross. Additionally, Amazon customers in Germany and Poland now have an option of donating to the Polish Red Cross to support flood-impacted areas via a donation campaign set up on amazon.de and amazon.pl.

Providing advanced technology support

In addition to deploying relief items, Amazon is leveraging advanced technology and expertise to help community partners assess on-the-ground needs in Poland. Specifically, we are working with Help.NGO, an international NGO and United Nations standby partner that specializes in emergency response, to support government teams that are working in the region. Together, Amazon and Help.NGO will utilize uncrewed aircraft systems (drones) to map and assess flooding caused by Storm Boris, capturing high-resolution images of affected areas to aid responding organizations in rescue operations and relief efforts.

Additionally, based on their assessments, Help.NGO will set up food trucks to support displaced communities by providing free beverages, meals, power for device charging, and internet connectivity. The collaborative efforts between Amazon and Help.NGO aim to provide vital assistance and resources to those impacted by the severe weather event.

Aiding communities impacted by national disasters

Amazon now operates 14 Disaster Relief Hubs globally. Since 2017, Amazon has donated over 24 million relief items to support more than 160 disasters worldwide. In just the last 24 months, we have responded to natural disasters across the world, including flooding in Brazil, wildfires in Chile, Colombia, Australia and Hawaii, earthquakes in Japan, Türkiye, Syria, and Morocco, and hurricanes and cyclones in Puerto Rico, Florida, and India.

Amazon will continue working with local authorities and community organizations to assess and identify needs as clean efforts begin across Central and Eastern Europe so we can expedite aid to impacted regions. Learn more about Amazon’s Disaster Relief and Response efforts.