Yuri Milner’s Tech For Refugees has shared that it will provide a $6 million grant for Flexport.org. This grant will fund humanitarian efforts in global crisis areas, including Ukraine, Pakistan, the Horn of Africa, and earthquake-affected areas in Turkey and Syria.
Yuri Milner established Tech For Refugees with his wife Julia in 2022. The Milners’ Breakthrough Prize Foundation , a charitable organization supporting scientific development, funds the non-profit initiative. The Milners have committed to leaving much of their wealth to philanthropic causes as part of their Giving Pledge.
It is through the Giving Pledge that the Milners host and support a variety of scientific projects, such as the Breakthrough Prize, Breakthrough Junior Challenge, and Breakthrough Initiatives. They are two of many philanthropists who have agreed to join Warren Buffett and Bill and Melinda Gates’ Giving Pledge to donate large sums to charitable enterprises.
About Tech For Refugees
Tech For Refugees harnesses the power of technology to provide critical aid and life-enhancing resources to refugees. Alongside Flexport.org, Tech For Refugees partners with other technology organizations, including Welcome.US, Airbnb.org, The International Rescue Committee (IRC), and Spotify.
The initiative is currently seeking new partnerships with established technology providers who can also support refugees.
How Flexport.org Provides Relief in Global Crisis Areas
In April 2022, Tech For Refugees partnered with Flexport.org, a platform for global logistics. The platform makes it possible for organizations to deliver global aid and step up their social and environmental impact.
The partnership leverages Flexport.org’s networks to deliver medicine, food, and other essential items to crisis-affected regions on a global scale.
In October 2022, Tech For Refugees and Flexport.org announced an initial $8 million grant. This fund enabled Flexport.org to deliver 116 aid shipments in partnership with 25 humanitarian organizations. The resources, worth $50 million, benefited 4 million displaced people.
Funding Refugee Relief in Ukraine
Giving Pledge signatories Julia and Yuri Milner have expressed their sorrow for the suffering of Ukrainian people. The couple believes that Tech For Refugees can have a positive, practical impact on the lives of refugees from Ukraine.
Two million Ukrainian refugees have benefited from 80 shipments from the initial relief program, worth $30 million. Along with food and “dignity kits” containing essential hygiene and personal safety supplies, the aid included medical equipment such as ambulances and hospital beds.
Essential Support for the Horn of Africa
The conflict in Ukraine has also resulted in global food instability, delaying grain deliveries to the Horn of Africa. One million people received aid from the October 2022 funding, with Flexport.org delivering $10 million worth of aid to the area.
Initially targeting Somalia, Chad, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Eritrea, Flexport.org later extended support to Niger and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Resources included Ready To Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF), a formula designed primarily to save the lives of young children by preventing severe malnutrition.
Responding To Flood-Affected Areas in Pakistan
Tech For Refugees and Flexport.org provided another $10 million of humanitarian aid in Pakistan after large-scale flooding in 2022. Relief efforts focused on materials needed to build shelters to house Afghan refugees. The shipments also contained solar lamps, blankets, tents, clean birthing kits, and water sterilization kits.
Yuri Milner praised Flexport.org’s achievements, saying he looks forward to seeing the next phase of the program come to fruition.
Learn more about Tech For Refugees.
