The CMA CGM Foundation mobilizes its resources in response to the sanitary emergency in Lebanon

A committee of medical practitioners was set up by the CMA CGM Foundation in coordination with the hospitals and the Lebanese Red Cross to identify and cater to the needs of Lebanese healthcare establishments.

In no time, the Foundation organized the purchasing, packing, and transportation of the equipment on board of the CMA CGM Group’s vessels, departing from Marseille-Fos Port (France).

With the help of CEVA Logistics, a subsidiary of the group, the Foundation ensured and coordinated as well the land transport and distribution to the beneficiaries.

The urgent medical assistance covers mostly needed equipment in demand by the medical institutions:

• Around 600,000 PPE items: gloves, masks, shoe-covers, blouse-covers, protective glasses and medical suits
• 20 respiratory machines in support to the hospitals’ emergency needs and intensive care units

The equipment has been delivered to the medical establishments that are on the front line in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic:

• Six hospitals spread across the country: Lebanese Geitaoui hospital, Saint George hospital, Mount Lebanon hospital, the Beirut Military hospital, Tripoli and Nabatieh public hospitals
• The Lebanese Red Cross

In 2020, the CMA CGM Foundation undertook 3 operations to tackle sanitary and humanitarian emergency situations. Following the explosion of August 4, the Aknoul, a CMA CGM ro-ro vessel was deployed to transport humanitarian relief supplies. Since September 2020, as part of the “Containers of Hope” operation, more than 50 additional containers supplied with humanitarian equipment have been shipped to Beirut at no cost. Throughout the year, various actions have been carried out to supply food aid to the less fortunate.

With its 399.2 meters length and 54 meters width, the CMA CGM BENJAMIN FRANKLIN has broken the record of the biggest containership to ever arrive at Beirut Port. The 18,000 TEU (Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit) is deployed on the Group’s Mediterranean Club Express (MEX) service and covers France, Spain, Italy, Malta, Lebanon, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , Abu Dhabi, Singapore, and China.

Consumer goods such as medicine, foodstuff and clothes have been also delivered on board of this vessel to the Lebanese population.

With 14 weekly calls at the ports of Beirut and Tripoli, the Group CMA CGM stands as the leading shipping company in the country while connecting Lebanon to the rest of the world.

Tanya Saadé Zeenny, President of the CMA CGM Foundation stated: “We are very committed to Lebanon and have always been present alongside the Lebanese people through various humanitarian and sanitary actions carried out by the CMA CGM Foundation. Through this operation, which aims to tackle the urgent needs of the country’s health organizations, the Foundation is supporting Lebanon in the face of the health crisis. "