USAID/OFDA Logistics and Relief Commodities Sector Update – October 2012

As the lead U.S. Government office for international disaster response, USAID/OFDA stockpiles relief supplies at regional warehouses in Miami, Florida; Pisa, Italy; and Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The stockpiled commodities include blankets, plastic sheeting for emergency shelter, family hygiene kits, kitchen sets, Zodiac boats, 10-liter collapsible water containers, 10,000-liter water storage bladders, and trailer-mounted water treatment units. The USAID/OFDA full-time logistics team in Washington, D.C., coordinates the delivery of relief supplies from regional warehouse hubs to affected areas via air, sea, or land. The team can also rapidly procure relief items that are not stockpiled in regional warehouses from numerous suppliers around the world. In the event of a large-scale disaster, USAID/OFDA can augment the core team with USAID/OFDA-trained logisticians, including staff from the U.S. Forest Service's Disaster Assistance Support Program and Urban Search and Rescue teams from the Fairfax County, Virginia, Fire and Rescue Department and the Los Angeles County, California, Fire Department. Humanitarian air operations provide reliable transport, enable security and medical evacuations, and facilitate increased access for humanitarian organizations responding to the needs of vulnerable populations. In late 2011, a USAID/OFDA logistics specialist, along with representatives from the U.K. Department for International Development (DFID) and the European Commission's Directorate-General for Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection (ECHO), conducted a joint donor review of U.N. Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) operations in Sudan and South Sudan. The review aimed to assess UNHAS operations and inform strategy development to maintain regular and safe flights for the humanitarian community in post-independence South Sudan. In FY 2012, the USAID/OFDA logistics team worked to update USAID/OFDA stockpiled commodities and streamline mechanisms to procure emergency relief supplies. The team examined each step of the emergency response process from assessment to procurement to distribution and invited USAID staff, technical experts, and partner organizations to review products housed and distributed by USAID/OFDA. As a result of review and research, USAID/OFDA has revised basic supplies, added new items, and brought many commodity specifications in-line with those used by other humanitarian partners. The revised commodities include medium and high thermal fleece blankets, plastic sheeting in metric measurements, residual chlorine test kits, Oxfam-style water tanks and pumps, water purification tablets for home use, and improved hygiene kits. The USAID/OFDA logistics team continues to monitor all aspects of the commodities supply chain, frequently inspecting the production, distribution, and impact of supplies to help ensure suitable, rapid assistance to disaster-affected populations around the world. The team's efforts aim to improve the speed, efficiency, and effectiveness of disaster assistance, and to ensure that emergency relief supplies are available to affected communities as humanitarian needs arise.