"Wings on Wheels — Combating the Cold": Second humanitarian aid convoy consisting of eight Mercedes-Benz Actros trucks brings urgently needed relief to Syrian refugees

• "Wings on Wheels - Combating the Cold" — second humanitarian aid convoy sets out to area along the Turkish-Syrian border

• Urgently needed supplies worth a total of about €2 million: winter clothing, food, tents, and three ambulances

• Daimler and its employees donate a total of €100,000

• Dr. Wolfgang Bernhard, Member of the Board of Management, Head of Daimler Trucks and Buses: "The refugees are suffering greatly, especially at this time of year. That's why we want to provide concrete help with our convoy and give the people hope."

• Michael Brecht, Deputy Chairman of the General Works Council: "Such expressions of humanity and solidarity are desperately needed in view of the refugees' difficult situation."

With the help of donations from Daimler employees, the second humanitarian aid convoy left the Mercedes-Benz plant in Untertürkheim today to carry supplies to Syrian refugees in Gaziantep in southern Turkey. Daimler Trucks and Wings of Help teamed up to send six Mercedes-Benz Actros trucks full of urgently needed relief supplies, including medicines and winter clothing, from Stuttgart to the refugees. In Adana, Turkey, the convoy will be joined by two more trucks carrying food and tents. The supplies are worth around €2 million in total. Gaziantep, which is located near the Syrian border, houses the logistics center from which the humanitarian aid will be distributed to the refugee camps. At the center, the relief supplies will be handed over to the Turkish Red Crescent (Kizilay) and the International Medical Corps, which will then distribute them to the refugees.

The Daimler employees' response to the first convoy in September was outstanding. The company gladly acceded to the employees' request for a second convoy and their wish to do something themselves. In a campaign titled "Wings on Wheels — Combating the Cold," Daimler asked its employees to donate money for the relief convoy until December 6. The employees donated more than €50,000. Daimler then doubled this sum to over €100,000. In the first convoy, 11 Mercedes-Benz trucks transported relief supplies worth €4 million along the nearly 4,000-km-long land route to the Turkish-Syrian border.

The second convoy was sent on its six-day journey today by Dr. Wolfgang Bernhard, Member of the Board of Management, Head of Daimler Trucks and Buses; Frank Franke, President of Wings of Help; and Michael Brecht, Deputy Chairman of the General Works Council and member of the Daimler Supervisory Board.

"The refugees are suffering greatly, especially at this time of year," said Dr. Wolfgang Bernhard at the sendoff of the "Wings on Wheels — Combating the Cold" convoy. "Millions of Syrians have fled their homes and hundreds of thousands of them have found refuge in Turkey. Half of the refugees are minors, most of them under the age of 12. Many children are traumatized or in bad health as a result of the war. That's why we want to provide concrete help with our convoy and give the people hope. We have a strong public presence in Turkey through Mercedes-Benz Türk and our production locations in Istanbul and Aksaray. We consider it our duty to help our Turkish friends in this difficult situation."

Per scaricare il Comunicato Stampa completo (Word) selezionare "Effettuare il download della selezione" dal menù sottostante.