Humanitarian organisations and logistics companies have teamed up to conduct the first in a series of assessments to help countries strengthen their ability to respond to emergencies.
AP Moller-Maersk and UPS joined the Logistics Cluster, led by the UN World Food Programme, to undertake a logistics capacity assessment in Nigeria, which focused on potential natural disasters and pandemics. Future assessments around the world will build on the results of this pilot project.
The logistics capacity assessment examined standard logistics components such as roads, bridges, ports and airports, as well as issues such as milling capacity, quarantine procedures and telecoms infrastructure. The assessment also mapped out disaster contingency plans, including for the movement of goods and supplies into and throughout the country. The lessons learned from these scenarios could be life-saving in the case of a disaster or pandemic.
The Logistics Cluster, comprised of representatives from UN agencies and non-governmental organisation, acts a coordination mechanism for the logistical response during emergencies. AP Moller-Maersk and UPS, along with TNT Express and Agility, are members of the Logistics Emergency Teams (LETS), a cross-company partnership that supports humanitarian relief efforts during natural disasters.
In 2011, the Logistics Cluster and the LETs worked together to provide humanitarian assistance to millions of people suffering from drought in the Horn of Africa. By providing the Logistics Cluster with airlifts of supplies and equipment, the LETs enabled the humanitarian community to reach those in need more quickly and efficiently. The LETs also assisted WFP’s relief support to the Government of Japan following the April 2011 tsunami.
“The LET companies are key players in the humanitarian community, as they can provide experienced local personnel in countries where WFP does not otherwise operate,” said WFP logistics officer Pietro Terranera, who led the assessment in Nigeria. “This allows data collection and verification to take place more quickly and accurately.”
