H&M to donate PPE to EU
The company had been informed that protective masks were the main priority, but gowns and gloves were also badly needed
Fashion retailer H&M on Sunday said it would use its vast supply network to source personal protective equipment (PPE) for hospitals in the European Union.
It said it had offered the EU help.
A spokesman for the company said in an email, "The EU has asked us to share our purchasing operations and logistics capabilities in order to source supplies but in this urgent initial phase, we will donate the supplies."
H&M said it had been informed that protective masks were the main priority, but gowns and gloves were also badly needed.
The company has temporarily shut its stores in many of its markets in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
It has suppliers around the globe, but mostly in China and other Asian countries such as India, Bangladesh and Vietnam.
Many countries have already run short of protective gear for health workers and equipment crucial in the treatment of severe coronavirus cases.
Some are drafting automakers and aerospace manufacturers to repurpose factories to produce ventilators.
