Ukraine aid fund: HHLA donates one million euros

More and more people are suffering hardship as a result of the war in Ukraine. Ham-burger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA) is therefore setting up an aid fund worth one million euros. In this way, HHLA wants to help the affected people quickly and purposefully, especially in the Odessa region.

“We condemn in the strongest possible terms this attack on Ukraine in violation of international law. The senseless suffering of the population has filled our hearts with sadness,” says Angela Titzrath, Chairwoman of HHLA’s Executive Board. The money from the aid fund aims to provide humanitarian and medical assistance to people affected by the war, with a specific focus on the Odessa region. HHLA operates a container terminal in the Ukrainian port city. “As an employer in Odessa for many years, we feel closely connected to the region and want to provide support quickly,” Ms Titzrath says.

The aid fund complements a staff donation that was set up by the Executive Board at the request of HHLA’s staff. Over € 60,000 has been collected so far to support concrete aid projects for local employees. “The HHLA family stands united. The commitment of our employees is exemplary and makes us, as the Executive Board, very proud,” says Torben Seebold, Chief Human Resources Officer at HHLA.

Aid fund and staff donation are part of the wide-ranging commitment of the company and the HHLA staff: As part of a logistically complex operation, a few days after the beginning of the war, around 120 family members of Ukrainian HHLA employees who had decided to flee the country were brought to Hamburg,the company's headquarters. Thanks to the overwhelming helpfulness of their German col-leagues, they were accommodated here quickly and unbureaucratically. HHLA employees provided accommodation themselves or via their network. They are also the first point of contact and, together with their Russian/Ukrainian-speaking colleagues, provide support in the upcoming administrative procedures. In total, HHLA is currently taking care of more than 250 refugees.