New Land Rover Defender Supports Ifrc Emergency Response

Land Rover has donated two new Land Rover Defenders to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the world’s largest humanitarian network, at their Dubai hub.

The Defenders will support IFRC operations at a time of unprecedented humanitarian need. One will be deployed to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where it will enable Red Cross volunteers to support hard-to-reach and vulnerable communities at risk from  Covid-19 and Ebola. The other Defender will stay in Dubai for rigorous testing on the region’s sand dunes and the Jebel Jais highway.

This latest donation continues Land Rover’s long partnership with the IFRC. The two organisations have worked together since 1954, reaching over one million people around the world to help them prepare for, cope with, and recover from disasters. Previous collaborations include supporting earthquake preparedness and rescue efforts in rural Mexico, and funding for emergency water and sanitation services in Uganda.

Bruce Robertson, Managing Director of Jaguar Land Rover MENA, said: “The success of the partnership between Land Rover and the IFRC is built on a foundation of shared values; the most important being an unwavering sense of community-mindedness. It is this focus on the people and communities we cater to that has motivated us to play our part in helping vulnerable people to overcome the difficulties they face.”

Hossam Elsharkawi, IFRC Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, said: “Whether supporting us to launch disaster preparedness projects across the world, or to go that last mile during disasters to provide life-saving humanitarian assistance, Land Rover has been a loyal and generous partner. The delivery of two new Land Rover Defenders will help our dedicated volunteers protect the health, safety and livelihoods of extremely vulnerable communities. We look forward to working even more closely with Land Rover for years to come.