Amazon opens its first disaster relief center in Latin America in Mexico

By Amazon

This press release was published in English using an automatic translation system

Amazon today announced the opening of its first disaster relief center in Latin America, located in Tepozotlán, State of Mexico. This new center reiterates Amazon's commitment to supporting communities impacted by natural disasters through its disaster relief program. The center stores more than 25,000 essential items intended to provide quick and vital aid in the event of a disaster.

The launch of the disaster relief center in Mexico follows the opening of similar centers in Southern California and Germany in 2024. Each center leverages Amazon’s unique operational expertise, global logistics network, and innovative technologies to provide rapid and effective support to communities devastated by natural disasters. This relief center is in close proximity to Mexico City and transportation networks, allowing Amazon to quickly deliver critical supplies to affected communities within 72 hours of a request from any relief organization or partner.

"When a natural disaster occurs, it is essential to provide immediate support. Our capabilities in logistics and technology allow us to provide rapid and effective assistance. With the opening of this new center in Mexico, our response time to partner with emergency management agencies and natural disaster support organizations across the country will be even faster and more efficient," said Diego Méndez de la Luz, Director of Operations for Amazon in Mexico.

The new center will support Amazon’s community partners, including NGOs and disaster response agencies such as the Mexican Food Bank Network (BAMX), the Mexican Red Cross, the United Nations International Organization for Migration (IOM), and World Central Kitchen.

Amazon analyzed data from previous relief efforts and designed a pre-positioning strategy to ensure that the most in-demand items are close to disaster-prone areas. Central Mexico is currently storing thousands of vital supplies needed to respond to earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, landslides, tornadoes, and other disaster events, including:

• Flood mitigation equipment such as shovels, mops, buckets and storage containers
• Cleaning and repair of materials, including shrink bags and trash cans
• Hygiene and personal care supplies crucial for those affected as they return to their communities
• Other emergency supplies such as tarps, water filtration systems and flashlights

Prior to opening the disaster relief center in Mexico, Amazon leveraged its global network to support local relief efforts. In 2024, Tropical Storm Alberto impacted 7 states in Mexico, disabling infrastructure with catastrophic flooding and landslides. Through Amazon’s collaboration with BAMX, emergency kits were distributed to affected families in rural areas of Nuevo León, Coahuila, and Quintana Roo within hours of the nonprofit’s request.
Additionally, when Category 5 Hurricane Otis hit Acapulco, Mexico, in 2023, Amazon donated and delivered more than 103,000 essential items to support the Mexican Red Cross, the Mexican Network of Food Banks, the International Organization for Migration, and other organizations working on the ground.

During the opening, the Secretary of Economic Development of the Government of the State of Mexico, Laura González Hernández, highlighted that "the installation of this hub in the entity is not a coincidence, the strategic location of the State of Mexico and its infrastructure, among other characteristics, will allow Amazon and its experience in the logistics sector to demonstrate its capacity to respond to adversity and will collaborate with the commitment of the Government of the State of Mexico and the Federal Government in the reconstruction and well-being of those affected by these tragedies."

Improving disaster response through cloud technology

In the aftermath of natural disasters, the disaster support center also deploys Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud technology to provide remote and local support through innovative solutions that apply technology-based assistance to response efforts. Through strategic partnerships with organizations like Help.NGO and others, Amazon facilitates critical services including aerial mapping, image processing, emergency connectivity solutions, and enhanced call center operations in disaster-affected regions.

Additionally, AWS cloud technology has proven instrumental in wildfire response efforts, where it helped emergency teams monitor hot spots, track fire progression, and generate crucial aerial surveillance maps for strategic decision-making.

Since 2017, Amazon has donated and delivered more than 25 million essential items to support communities affected by 187 natural disasters around the world, including Acapulco and Monterrey, Mexico. In the past 24 months alone, the disaster relief center has responded to floods in Spain and Central and Eastern Europe; wildfires in California, Chile, Colombia, Australia, and Hawaii; earthquakes in Japan, Turkey, Syria, and Morocco; and hurricanes and cyclones in Florida, India, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. Amazon has filled cargo planes and sent trucks with Amazon-donated items to communities devastated by hurricanes, sent solar lights to people living without power after tsunamis, and helped organizations, including governments and nonprofits, accelerate response efforts through AWS cloud services. To learn more, visit aboutamazon.com/impact .