Background
The original UNHRD depot was inaugurated in the year 2000 to replace the Humanitarian Depot in Pisa, then managed by the Office of Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Upon decision of the Inter Agency Standing Committee (IASC) the mandate to provide rapid and accessible stockpiling and demobilisation services to partners inside and outside the United Nations was transferred from OCHA to WFP. Subsequently, the hub was moved to the military airport at Brindisi in an effort to set up a new and robust logistics platform, available to all partners as a “shared resource”.
In 2006, based on its own requirements and that of its partners, WFP replicated the successful Brindisi model by setting up further emergency response facilities in strategic locations worldwide, creating a network of HRDs in Africa, the Middle East, South East Asia and Latin America. Each of these locations has been selected to provide easy access to an airport, port and road systems, making access to a wide range of transportation methods available and allowing for consistently low response times of 24-48 hours.
Partners
Originally, five humanitarian organizations relied on the UNHRD Network. Today UNHRD serves over 100 partners ranging from UN agencies, governmental and non-governmental organizations.
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Core business:
Stockpiling and Response
The UNHRD network provides the core services of warehousing, inspection and handling of prepositioned relief items in any of the five HRDs worldwide for its range of partners at no cost. Additionally, it offers a wide range of related services, such as procurement, transport, technical assistance and technological innovation through its internal R&D facility, UNHRD Lab. In combination, UNHRD is able to provide holistic solutions to its partners, facilitating their humanitarian response.
See our service catalogue
Operational field support
Expanding its core services, UNHRD offers optional technical assistance for specialised logistics services through its HRD Field Team. These highly skilled technicians are deployed at the onset of an emergency to prevent any potential bottlenecks in the receiving areas. Among the tasks executed by HRD Field Team members are the installation of mobile warehouses, training of local staff and, should the emergency demand it, the setting up of treatment units and decontamination bays.
Upgrading of support equipment
Through the UNHRD Lab, the Network is able to offer R&D services to its partners in the continuous effort to increase effectiveness in emergency situations. The unit reviews, designs and upgrades relief items in light of its partner’s potential needs. The optimised designs are subsequently tested for use in a humanitarian setting before being fed back into the UNHRD Network as procurable stock for partners. Currently the Lab focuses on reducing packaging waste from relief items, among other projects.
Contact the Lab for more information