In 2005, DHL entered into a humanitarian partnership with OCHA, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, to improve disaster response. DHL then set up a Disaster Response Team (DRT) in South Florida and one in Singapore. (A third DRT will be established in the Middle East and Africa region in 2007).
The DRT provides services free of charge and draws on a pool of about 80 DHL employees. Up to 15 DHL expert volunteers are on the scene at any one time.
In Peru, because the main highway between Lima and the affected region was heavily damaged, most relief supplies are being flown directly to Pisco. Each day, planes loaded with tents, blankets, medicines, food, drinking water, and other supplies land at the air force base. The DRT at the air base has already managed 400 tons of relief items. Initial donations included grains (rice and beans) and clothing. Local authorities then called for tents, diapers, and toilet paper. In addition, because so many homes were destroyed, there was a strong need for building supplies—including hammers, wheel barrows, and shovels.
Relief materials had been arriving from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Italy, Ireland, the US, Venezuela, and Peru itself.
Related stories from Logistics Today:
A New Definition For Disaster(October 2006)http://www.logisticstoday.com/displayStory.asp?S=1&sNO=8250
Setting Up a Warehouse on the Fly(October 2006)http://www.logisticstoday.com/displayStory.asp?S=1&sNO=8265
Hurricane Katrina Aftermath: Fading into a bad dream(October 2005)http://www.logisticstoday.com/displayStory.asp?S=1&sNO=7484
Strategic offshore sourcing: The 'not just China' syndrome(September 2005)http://www.logisticstoday.com/displayStory.asp?S=1&sNO=7448
Tsunami aftermath: How to make good logistics better(April 2005)http://www.logisticstoday.com/displayStory.asp?S=1&sNO=7086
Delivering relief to tsunami victims(February 2005)
