Dubai-based global marine terminal operator DP World will provide pro bono expertise and resources to help the humanitarian community respond to major disasters after joining leading logistics and transport companies to become part of the Logistics Emergency Teams (LET).  

DP World will team up with the initial LET partners Agility, Maersk and UPS, and will be called on by the Logistics Cluster, led by the United Nations’ World Food Programme (WFP) to support immediate relief efforts in the aftermath of major natural disasters such as earthquakes, storms and floods, said a statement from the company.

LET was established in 2015, facilitated by the World Economic Forum, to help improve international responses to humanitarian crisis. The collaboration has previously provided disaster relief during 12 emergency responses, including the earthquakes in Nepal in April and May 2015 and after the Japan earthquake and tsunami in 2011.

DP World formalised its commitment by signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the WFP today (January 18) at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, it said.

DP World will provide logistics services, for instance helping with the shipment and storage of humanitarian aid. In addition, selected employees in disaster prone countries will receive LET specialist training to improve their ability in coordinating response efforts, it added.

All work will be directed by the Logistics Cluster, which provides coordination, information management and facilitates access to common logistics services to organisations responding to an emergency.

This public-private partnership brings together the resources of the logistics industry and the emergency experience of the humanitarian community, ensuring effective and efficient response and ultimately contributing to saving lives, alleviating suffering and protecting dignity.

As a global trade enabler working in 40 countries across six continents, DP World is well placed to provide its expertise and resources after major disasters. Its involvement in the LET builds on its existing disaster response framework that details processes the company has in place to ensure the best collective impact, including how employees respond to catastrophes.

DP World’s previous contributions to disaster response efforts have included providing aid through fundraising and gifts after the 2013 Typhoon in the Philippines and the earthquake in Nepal in 2015, said a statement.

Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, chairman and CEO of DP World, said: “Major natural disasters can have devastating impacts and the response efforts in the immediate aftermath are crucial to ensuring urgent aid reaches the right places as quickly as possible.”

“We take our responsibility to society very seriously, and by joining the LET we can play a key role as part of a coordinated response across the trade and logistics industry. This crucial collaboration helps protect lives and we are pleased to be a part of it,” he said.

Stephen Cahill, global logistics cluster coordinator at the World Food Programme, said: “Through LET, the WFP-led logistics cluster has access to the largest global network of transportation and logistics expertise, meaning life-saving assistance can be provided more quickly and efficiently following natural disasters.”

“The response during the first phase of any humanitarian crisis is highly important for how local communities are impacted in the long term, and the expertise and resources that DP World brings will help support vital strategic relief efforts,” he added.

“The partnership between the LET and the Global Logistics Cluster integrates public and private sector skills and knowledge for maximum impact, and we are pleased to welcome DP World to this collaboration,” he concluded. – TradeArabia News Service