Gap Inc. has donated 6 million units of apparel to aid the more than 79.5 million forcibly displaced people around the world. The gift represents one-third of the current annual global demand for clothing and is the single biggest new clothing donation to date for UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.
“Every day, tens of thousands of people are forced to flee their homes, often with just the clothes on their backs. The magnitude of the refugee crisis reinforces that challenges of such scale require collaboration and innovation,” said Anne-Marie Grey, Executive Director and CEO of USA for UNHCR. “Thanks to the generosity and support of Gap Inc., we can help deliver protection and assistance to the millions of people who have been forced to flee home due to violence and persecution.”
Four million units have been distributed in Burkina Faso, a country in the Sahel region of Africa which is facing one of the fastest growing displacement crises in the world. Approximately 100,000 winter jackets have been shipped to Lebanon, one of the coldest countries in the region, which hosts the largest number of Syrian refugees per capita (approximately 1 million). And, 56,000 winter jackets and clothing to displaced families hosted in different communities in Armenia were airlifted by The UPS Foundation, a long-term partner of USA for UNHCR, in January 2021.
The remaining 1.8+ million units of clothing will be distributed in 2021 to refugees and other vulnerable populations living in regions with critical needs.
“At Gap Inc., we seek to fill the gaps in our world by supporting individuals, families and communities. We believe clothes—and the clothes people wear—can positively impact their lives. We are proud to partner with UNHCR to address the needs of refugees around the world” said Sally Gilligan, Chief Information Officer and Chief Strategy Officer for Gap Inc. “We will continue to seek out similar opportunities and hope that this innovative partnership unlocks additional opportunities for other brands to help refugees rebuild their lives.”
The scale of the Gap Inc. donation led to a new partnership between USA for UNHCR and Good360, a charitable organization whose mission is to help companies donate excess merchandise to charities instead of destroying it or selling it for pennies on the pound. This partnership and the transformational support from Gap Inc., has created a more sustainable model to address the UN Sustainable Development Goal 12 around responsible consumption and production and meet the immediate needs of refugees through clothing donations.