Global Shipping Company Partners with Operation Blessing International to Deliver Water Purification Systems to Flood-Ravaged Towns Near Guayaquil

PLANTATION, Fla. – March 4, 2008 - DHL, the world’s leading global express delivery and logistics company, has teamed up with Virginia-based humanitarian organization Operation Blessing International (OBI) to ship two portable water purification systems from Charleston, South Carolina, to Guayaquil, Ecuador, to aid with the recovery of severe flooding in the region. In addition to donating the transportation services, DHL is handling the clearance of the shipment in Guayaquil and is providing local employee volunteers in Ecuador to assist with the delivery of the units to their final destinations. The shipment, weighing over 3,500 pounds (1,600 kilograms), will depart Miami tonight, moving through Panama before it arrives in Guayaquil Thursday morning.

The Living Water Treatment Systems, which were purchased by OBI and its partner, Water Missions International (WMI), will provide a combined 20,000 gallons of clean drinking water daily. The units use alum as a coagulant, garnet and anthracite for filtration and a chlorinator for biological purification, and are equipped with a backwash system enabling them to be used for up to five years with no filter replacement costs.

"DHL is proud to play a meaningful role in this international relief effort, employing both logistics expertise and local volunteers to help deliver clean drinking water to the thousands of Ecuadorian people affected by the floods," said Chris Weeks, Director of Humanitarian Affairs for DHL.

DHL has partnered with OBI on delivering similar water purification systems to other disaster-struck regions across the world, including Bangladesh, following the mid-November cyclone, and the flood-ravaged Mexican Gulf also in November 2007.

"The floods in Ecuador have created a humanitarian crisis, leaving tens of thousands of people either displaced or in need of aid, and destroying crops that provide food and are the basis of much of the local economy," said Bill Horan, OBI President. "It has been our experience, having worked in 96 countries around the world, that floods devastate the drinking water supply very quickly and accelerate the spread of diseases like cholera, malaria and dengue fever. That is why, when disaster strikes, providing water purification plants to the impacted area immediately is often OBI’s top priority."

According to the Ecuadorian Red Cross, heavy rains that started in January have led to severe flooding in coastal areas and the inland provinces of Canar and Carchi. The flooding has affected approximately 55,000 people to date and caused extensive agricultural losses. On February 21, U.S. Ambassador Linda Jewell declared a disaster due to the effects of the flooding.

About DHL

At DHL, Customer Service is back in shipping. Its mission is to provide the most flexible, personable and enjoyable experience in the shipping industry for our customers. DHL is the global market leader of the international express and logistics industry, specializing in providing innovative and customized solutions from a single source. DHL offers expertise in express, air and ocean freight, overland transport, contract logistic solutions as well as international mail services, combined with worldwide coverage and an in-depth understanding of local markets. DHL's international network links more than 225 countries and territories worldwide with over 300,000 employees dedicated to providing fast and reliable services that exceed customers' expectations. Founded in San Francisco in 1969, DHL is a Deutsche Post World Net brand. The group generated worldwide revenues of $80 billion in 2006. For more information on DHL, visit www.dhl.com.

About Operation Blessing International

Operation Blessing International (OBI) is one of the largest charities in America, providing strategic disaster relief, medical aid, hunger relief, clean water and community development in 22 countries around the world on a daily basis. In 2007, OBI responded to a record 20 disasters in 14 countries. In recent years, OBI has also made headlines as a first responder to four major U.S. hurricanes; the tsunami disaster in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand; and they were on the ground staging supplies along the Gulf Coast days before Katrina. In New Orleans, OBI has provided nearly $60 million in cash grants, relief supplies, and over 265,000 hours of volunteer service. Most recently, OBI mobilized teams and funded major relief and recovery efforts in the Hunan Province of China, Rift Valley in Kenya, Bangladesh, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, the Darfur region of Sudan, Pakistan, Somalia, India, Indonesia, Mozambique and the Philippines.

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Still photography and video of the delivery in Ecuador will be available at a later date. To request multimedia, please email usa.pressoffice@dhl.com.

Media Inquiries:

DHL USA
Corporate Communications
Leslie Monreal-Feil
Tel.: (954) 888-7114
E-Mail: usa.pressoffice@dhl.com