featurefocus
Taking The
Drama Out
of A Crisis
gility, Chapman Freeborn,
Deutsche Post DHL, Lyn-
den Air Cargo, Maximus
Air Cargo, TNT and UPS
played vital roles in last
month’s relief efforts in
Indonesia, the Philippines and other re-
gions devastated by a series of natural
disasters.
In early October, the
United Nations sent
rapid support teams
to Bhutan, Cambodia,
Indonesia, Lao PDR,
the Philippines, Samoa
and Tonga to support
millions of people affected by a brutal string of
earthquakes, tropical storms
and tsunamis.
In mid-October, the National Disaster Coordinating Council estimated
that more than six million people had
been affected by Typhoons Ketsana
and Parma, which hit the Philippines
in quick succession, bringing chaos to
much of Luzon Island, including the
capital of Manila.
Meanwhile, the United Nations
predicted that the death toll from a 7. 9
magnitude quake in Indonesia’s West
Sumutra province would rise to more
than 1,000 people. The quake, which
severed roads and bridges and made
emergency response to remote areas
difficult, affected 500,000 people.
Agility, TNT and UPS responded
with disaster relief support for the UN’s
World Food Programme (WFP) in an
initiative called the Logistics Emergency Teams. WFP is in the lead role
in the Global Logistic Cluster’s relief
efforts in the Philippines and Padang,
Indonesia.
“By helping WFP ensure food
supplies reach people affected
by these natural disasters
as quickly as possible,
these companies are play-
ing a lead role in helping
save lives,” said Peter
French, WFP Deputy
Regional Director for Asia.
“The expertise and resourc-
es they are providing come at a
critical time and are invaluable.”
At the request of the UN, Bonn-based DHL deployed a Disaster
Response Team (DRT) to Padang to
smooth the process of handling incoming aircraft delivering medical supplies
and generators. Its primary task was
to help manage the expected surge in
air cargo operations and reduce bottlenecks at the airport to make way for
additional relief flights.
“Airports are so critical in that first
phase. As relief aid comes through, if
no one is there, it can quickly block up
the airport. Our main aim is to keep
the relief supply chain open,” Matt
Hemy, DHL’s Disaster Relief Team
