Temperature Sensitive Logistics
UNHRD's TSL portfolio
Temperature-sensitive logistics (TSL) plays a critical role in ensuring life-saving supplies like vaccines, medicines, and medical equipment to reach people in need safely and effectively.
UNHRD offers a comprehensive TSL service package, including technical support, operational advisory, training, and deployment of specialized equipment.
A wide range of TSL assets—such as reefer containers, inflatable cold rooms, cold boxes, and temperature monitoring tools—is prepositioned across the network and ready for rapid deployment wherever needed.
UNHRD TSL teams are also ready to deploy to the field, providing on-site installation, operational qualification, and handover to ensure proper equipment use and seamless integration into emergency logistics operations.
Case studies
Supporting smallholder farmers in Sierra Leone
Date: May 2025
Partner: WFP Sierra Leone | End User: Women-led farmers’ cooperative
To reduce post-harvest losses and strengthen food security, UNHRD supplied a solar-powered refrigerated container to a women-led vegetable cooperative in rural Sierra Leone. The unit, delivered from UNHRD’s Accra hub, was installed and integrated with a local 20kW solar system by WFP Sierra Leone.
UNHRD’s TSL team provided remote support and training to ensure proper use. The cold room now helps farmers preserve crops like tomatoes, carrots, and green beans, reducing spoilage and opening up new market opportunities.
DRC: Supporting outbreak response
Date: September 2024
Partner: WFP DRC country office | End user: Ministry of Health, Democratic Republic of Congo
Facing outbreaks of Polio and Mpox, the DRC needed more freezer space for vaccine storage. UNHRD delivered two large refrigerated containers and backup generators to the central health hub in Kinshasa in 2022. This helped maintain safe vaccine temperatures and strengthened the country’s readiness for the Polio and Mpox outbreaks in 2024.
Piloting rail-based cold chain in Tanzania
Date: January 2024
Partner: WFP Tanzania | End User: Tanzania Railway Corporation
To help reduce food loss and improve market access for fresh produce, WFP partnered with Tanzania Railway Corporation to launch a pilot cold chain route by rail. Using five refrigerated containers supplied from UNHRD’s TSL stock, the route connects Kilosa, a key farming area, to major retail markets. UNHRD also supported training for end users, enabling a quick launch. This rail-based solution keeps produce fresh during transit, helping cut spoilage and improve food quality along the supply chain.
Boosting cold storage for humanitarian aid in Gaza
Date: November 2023
Partner: European Union | End user: Egyptian Red Crescent
In response to the growing crisis in Gaza, UNHRD quickly sent cold chain equipment to Al Arish, Egypt, to support the Egyptian Red Crescent. The shipment included cold boxes, portable refrigerators, and inflatable cold rooms—designed for quick setup in the field. UNHRD experts also helped install and set up the units, making it easier to store and dispatch sensitive medical supplies into Gaza.Boosting cold storage for humanitarian aid in Gaza
Nicaragua: Expanding vaccine transportation and storage
Date: January 2022
Partner: WHP/PAHO | End user: Ministry of Health, Nicaragua
As vaccine donations surged in late 2021, Nicaragua’s cold chain came under pressure. At the request of WHO-PAHO, UNHRD stepped in with a fast shipment of refrigerators and cold boxes to boost storage capacity across the country. This helped keep COVID-19 vaccines safe and supported the national immunization rollout at a critical time.
