The Pre-positioning of Humanitarian Supplies

The first element of the Irish Aid Rapid Response Initiative is the pre-positioning of humanitarian supplies. Ireland’s humanitarian supplies are pre-positioned at the UN Humanitarian Response Depots (UNHRD)  in Brindisi, Italy, Dubai, UAE and Accra, Ghana.
 
Key features of the Irish Aid stockpiles of humanitarian supplies are:

• Non food items only are stored, with a focus on essential shelter and water/sanitation supplies.
• A partnership agreement with UN World Food Programme’s (WFP) is in place since September, 2006. Under the agreement, the UN Humanitarian Response Depot (UNHRD) – managed by the WFP – is charged with the procurement, storage, management and transportation of the supplies.
• A separate partnership agreement is in place with the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) to identify needs and appropriate recipient agencies.
• There is a combined capacity within the Brindisi, Dubai and Accra stockpiles to meet shelter/water/sanitation needs of 50,000 people.
• Irish Aid also supports the operational costs of the UNHRD regional hub in Accra, Ghana serving needs in Africa.

Key elements for a successful response to an emergency, whether natural or man-made, include the supply of the minimum material requirements to respond to rapid onset needs (shelter, water/sanitation, food, health). Ideally, supplies should be sourced as close to a disaster as possible in order to minimise transport and other costs, and to benefit local markets. However, rapid mobilisation of supplies to meet extraordinary crises, such as the recent earthquake in Haiti, or the needs of complex emergencies such as Darfur, or forgotten emergencies, such as Chad, is often required. 

In recent months, Irish humanitarian supplies have been disbursed following the earthquakes in Haiti and Padang, Indonesia, flooding in Burkina Faso, the cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe, and conflict in Pakistan.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What is the UNHRD?
UNHRD stands for United Nations Humanitarian Response Depot.  The United Nations Humanitarian Response Depot (UNHRD) is a WFP Network able to deliver humanitarian relief items worldwide within 24/48 hrs. The Network provides storage, logistics support and services to UN humanitarian agencies, international humanitarian organizations, governmental and non-governmental organizations, thus reinforcing capacity for humanitarian emergency response.

UNHRD Depots are based in:
• Brindisi, Italy (Europe)
• Dubai, UAE (Middle East)
• Accra, Ghana (West Africa)
• Panama City, Panama (Latin America)
• Subang, Malaysia (South East Asia)
 
The regional presence of UNHRD hubs allows for speedier responses and dramatically cut transport costs. It also enables UNHRD to simultaneously respond to four global sudden on-set emergencies.

What is the role of the UNHRD in relation to Ireland’s stocks?

Under the 2006 agreement between Irish Aid and the WFP, Ireland is pre-positioning essential humanitarian supplies within the WFP-managed UNHRD network.

Set up, procurement and management of Ireland’s stockpiles are carried out on behalf of Irish Aid by the UNHRD. As part of the UNHRD expansion to regional hubs, the annual operating costs of the depot in Accra, Ghana are funded by the Irish government.

When and how will stocks be released?

Irish Aid may also authorise the release of stocks following a direct request for supplies from established humanitarian partners. 

OCHA may also request approval from Irish Aid for the release of appropriate stocks according to the results of needs assessments conducted on the ground. In some instances, the shipment will comprise stocks owned by other donors who also stockpile within the UNHRD network. In this situation, OCHA also identifies a suitable agency to take charge of the stocks. The receiving agency or consignee tends to be another UN agency, a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) or the local government authority.

UNHRD prepares and ships the goods, and delivers the shipment to the OCHA identified consignee on arrival in the affected country. Ownership of the goods then passes to the consignee.

How were these items chosen?

The items to be stored by Ireland have been selected in close consultation with the UN agencies. They have been selected (a) for their use in all emergencies, (b)  no shelf life and (c) ease of packing and transport.  They are items which have proven to be most in demand by people who have lost their most basic possessions when forced to flee their homes following conflict, flooding, earthquakes, etc.