DHL has dispatched a Disaster Response Team to Nepal while UPS and other express operators are gearing up to assist with relief aid supplies in the aftermath of the devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck the country over the weekend.
More than 3,800 people were killed, an estimated 6,000 were injured and more than 100,000 left homeless in the earthquake that wrecked parts of the capital, Kathmandu, as well as towns and villages throughout the centre of the impoverished Himalayan country.
International aid efforts have gone into operation, including an initial series of flights to Kathmandu Airport carrying relief supplies, including technical equipment, water and food.
Deutsche Post DHL has deployed its Disaster Response Team (DRT) to the capital’s airport to provide logistics support to help manage the incoming international aid and handle the goods for further distribution by local and international organisations to those in need.
A team of DRT volunteers consisting out of nine DHL employees from countries such as Bahrain, Belgium, Dubai, India, Malaysia and Singapore was due to arrive in the capital today (27 April) where they will be supported by Gagan Mukhia, Country Manager of DHL Express Nepal. The team will go into action on Tuesday (28 April), working with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) to mobilise and coordinate humanitarian relief efforts in Nepal.
The DRT deployment comes five years after DHL provided disaster training for employees of five Nepalese airports, Kathmandu, Nepalganj, Biratnagar, Simara and Pokhara. It will be the first time that a DRT team will be in operation at an airport that already received disaster training, a company spokeswoman confirmed to CEP-Research.
Frank Appel, CEO of Deutsche Post DHL Group, said: “The massive scale of destruction from the Nepal earthquake has hugely crippled infrastructure and damaged roads and local airports, posing a great logistical challenge towards relief efforts. It’s a race against time to rescue those still captured in the debris as well as those in urgent need for critical assistance and amenities like medical help, food and water.
“The sudden influx of relief goods at Kathmandu airport challenges the local capacities to distribute these goods in a timely manner to reach beneficiaries. This is the specific logistics support that our DHL Disaster Response Team will provide at the airport. Our team comprises highly trained volunteers who provide logistical expertise to help coordinate the relief aid at the airport for further distribution to the victims in the speediest manner possible.”
Chris Weeks, DHL Director for Humanitarian Affairs, added: “In the aftermath of a disaster, airports can become bottlenecks that delay the distribution of emergency relief supplies. In these situations, logistics expertise can make a huge difference in coordinating the incoming supplies, and so save lives by ensuring a swift and organized handling of all aid. However, there is a high level of competency and preparedness in Nepal to deal with the aftermath as we had jointly conducted a “Get Airports Ready for Disaster” (GARD) programme with local Nepalese authorities and the United Nations Development Program in 2010.”
In cooperation with UNOCHA, DPDHL Group has sent DRTs to over 30 airports since 2005 to assist with post-disaster emergency logistics, and has provided training to more than 25 airports around the world.
Meanwhile, UPS has been in contact with its humanitarian aid partners, including UNICEF, the World Food Programme (WFP), and UNHCR, among others, who are currently assessing their needs on the ground. The UN World Food Programme/Logistics Cluster has not yet activated the Logistics Emergency Team, which comprises UPS, Agility and Maersk.
A spokesman told CEP-Research: “UPS is in communication with our local UPS teams on the ground in India and Nepal to determine our capabilities and capacity, and we are monitoring the situation closely. Once needs are determined, UPS will mobilise our resources to respond to this disaster.”
In the past, FedEx and TNT have also provided logistics assistance for major disasters, with activities including flights, ground transportation and provision of warehousing facilities for relief aid supplies.
