Luca Passarelli, Humanitarian Assistance Program Warehouse worker loads a firetruck on a trailer to be shipped to Togo, Africa, August 9. The Department of Defense is donating critically needed fire, medical, and educational supplies to the country o...

The Humanitarian Assistance Program (HAP) supports both EUCOM and AFRICOM areas of interest, and is a means to accomplish peacetime engagements as well as strengthen U.S. relations with other nations through humanitarian assistance and disaster response. The Livorno HAP mission is to obtain excess Department of Defense (DoD) property to support planned Humanitarian Assistance (HA) projects which are coordinated with the local U.S. Embassy, host nation officials, and the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA).

The Department of Defense is donating critically needed fire, medical and educational supply to the country of Togo, Africa.

"These items will enhance the partner nation's disaster mitigation, preparedness and response capabilities while improving the basic education needs of the local population, said Richard Simpson, Manager of DESCA Humanitarian Assistance Program-Excess Property- Livorno, Italy.

According to Simpson, thirteen 40-foot containers of medical aid material, hospital supplies, fire department equipment, power production equipment and school supplies such as desks, chairs, and cubbies will be shipped to seven locations throughout Togo.

"A firetruck, ford 10 passengers van, and a land rover will also be shipped to aid Togo," said Simpson. "This will be the second fire truck in all Togo region and the first one was also donated by us."

"The equipment donations will highly improve Togo's civilian population quality of life and build partnership, this is a great motivation for us," said Passarelli.

Moving this amount of cargo in a short period of time is a huge effort that requires detailed coordination between the local MCT-Livorno, Livorno Military Community Customs, and HAP.

"Due to the remoteness of some locations, this is a very complicated shipping process across the entire country of Togo, spanning several hundred kilometers," Simpson added.

The next Humanitarian Support shipment is scheduled for 31August-September 2 and it will support the needs of Greece.