• The first shipment from Colombia was transported free of charge by LATAM’s “Solidarity Plane” program and landed in São Paulo this Tuesday, May 28th.
• The modular houses (Refugee Housing Units) for the flood victims in Rio Grande do Sul are mobile structures that convert into emergency housing.
• With this action, LATAM’s program has already transported 142 tons of donations and 102 volunteers to the southern region of Brazil since May 4th, 2024.

São Paulo, May 28, 2024 – LATAM, through its “Solidarity Plane” program, transported the first shipment of 100 out of 200 modular houses donated by the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) to support the emergency caused by the floods in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. This initial 16-ton shipment departed from Bogotá and landed in São Paulo to continue its journey by land to the affected area.

The transport of these emergency houses, known as Refugee Housing Units, to Brazil is the result of coordination between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Ports and Airports, and UNHCR, an ally of LATAM’s “Solidarity Plane” program since April 2022. These mobile structures are intended for the flood victims in Brazil, becoming temporary emergency housing to provide better shelter and greater privacy for the affected families.

With this initiative, LATAM’s Solidarity Plane has transported a total of 142 tons of donations, including basic food baskets, water, disposable diapers, blankets, and other essential items, as well as 102 volunteers, including doctors, nurses, veterinarians, and firefighters, free of charge to southern Brazil since May 4 of this year. These transports have been carried out both on commercial flights to regional airports and on special flights to the Canoas Air Base (RS), with donations coming from countries such as Portugal and the United States.

The first shipment of modular homes donated by UNHCR in Colombia was transported free of charge by LATAM’s “Solidarity Plane” program and landed at Guarulhos Airport this Saturday (Credit: UNHCR).

MODULAR HOMES: A UN PROJECT USED WORLDWIDE

Emergency Housing Units (Refugee Housing Units) have a lifespan of up to 5 years. These sustainable structures are used in various operations by the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) around the globe. Each unit consists of a lightweight steel frame, roof and wall dividers, doors and windows, floor covering, solar power, LED lighting, and an anchoring system. The project was developed collaboratively by UNHCR, the social enterprise Better Shelter, and the IKEA Foundation. The goal is to create autonomous, sustainable spaces adaptable to different humanitarian emergency contexts, with units present in South America, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.

The modular house is an innovative shelter solution, the result of a collaborative project carried out by Better Shelter and UNHCR, with the support of the IKEA Foundation (Credit: UNHCR).

ABOUT LATAM GROUP

LATAM Airlines Group S.A. and its subsidiaries are the leading airline group in Latin America, with presence in five domestic markets in the region: Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, in addition to international operations within Latin America and to Europe, Oceania, the United States and the Caribbean.

The group has a fleet of Boeing 767, 777, 787, Airbus A321, A321neo A320, A320neo and A319 aircraft. LATAM Cargo Chile, LATAM Cargo Colombia and LATAM Cargo Brazil are the LATAM group’s cargo subsidiaries,In addition to having access to the bellies of the passenger affiliates’ aircraft, they have a fleet of 20 freighters. These cargo subsidiaries have access to the group’s passenger aircraft, and operate within the LATAM group network, as well as on exclusive international routes for cargo transportation. In addition, they offer a modern infrastructure and a wide variety of services and support options to meet the needs of its customers.