The Logistics Cluster has set the goal of training 300 logisticians in South Sudan by the end of the year.
Moving forward into 2018, the Logistics Cluster is supporting the humanitarian community by providing two-day training sessions for national staff focusing on the fundamentals of logistics in South Sudan’s operational environment. With the support of IOM, the first training of this year was conducted 27 to 28 February in Juba for 24 participants from 15 organisations. During the two days, participants learned how to measure and weigh items with professional accuracy, and received hands-on training in inventory and warehouse management from the cluster’s Logistics Officers. These skills lay the foundation for a successful logistics operation in a complex emergency setting like South Sudan. Besides active classroom discussions and exchange of field experiences, participants also got the chance to implement their theoretical knowledge in a practical way.
Geoffrey, Operations Officer from VSF-Suisse, gave an insight for the relevance of the training for his daily work: “Based in Juba, we are delivering vaccines and medical supplies via airlifts throughout the whole country. The capacity of the aircraft is limited, so assessing the volume and weights is key for planning. When not done properly, we have to bring the cargo back from the airfield to the warehouse which involves additional costs. The training gives us the tools and skills to better plan the operation and thus increases the efficiency of the response.”
The Logistics Cluster thanks the participants for their vital engagement, IOM for their support in hosting the training, and donors DFID, ECHO and USAID for making these trainings possible.