In response to Cyclone Chido that made landfall in Mozambique in December 2024, Airlink Inc. (Airlink) devised a plan to get a shipment of food from western Canada to the Cabo Delgado region. The challenge was to overcome seasonal airport capacity at origin, political protests blocking the last-mile access between Maputo and Pemba, and storm damage that hampered border crossings. Airlink secured donated trucking from Canada to the US, donated freighter airlift from the US to South Africa, and coordinated two trucks via Zimbabwe to reach a safe crossing to Mozambique. The shipment, which would have cost $443,000 on the open market, came to just $33,000.
When earthquakes struck Türkiye and Syria in February 2023, many shipments were delayed at Turkish customs due to paperwork issues. Kuehne+Nagel’s local team leader developed a best practice guide and sent it to headquarters to be circulated to prevent future delays. For example, the guide recommended avoiding sending used goods as there were severe restrictions on importing these: clearance required approvals, reference numbers and a consignee on commercial documents. Undeclared cargo was also a no-go, as authorities needed to know what was in every pallet.
During COVID-19, the DHL Group (DHL) assisted the Red Crescent in Malaysia with warehouse management. Initially, operations were chaotic: there was no formal system in place, and everything was being done ad hoc. However, by mobilizing 50 volunteers and applying a 5-Sigma methodology, DHL organized the warehouse within three days while also training local staff on maintaining and managing the space.
These are just three examples of the importance of logistics in the context of emergency response, and the role business can play in providing powerful, life-saving solutions.
A new case study published by the OCHA-UNDP Connecting Business initiative and with the participation of Airlink, DHL, and Kuehne+Nagel, makes the case for public-private partnerships in this field throughout the disaster management cycle. Examples are provided from across geographies and emergency or disaster settings, including fourteen different countries and at least seven different types of crises. A number reflect the work of CBi Member Networks.
You can access the full case study here.