A coordinated approach to emergencies: the United Nations Humanitarian Response Depot

The issue of collaborating and coordinating efforts has been in the forefront of discussions on how to organize emergency operations, following the Indian Ocean Tsunami in December 2004. Collaborative initiatives such as the United Nations Humanitarian Response Depot (UNHRD) reacted immediately by sending several cargoes of medicines, water storage, purification and distribution systems as well as temporary shelter equipment among many other items.

UN agencies and non-governmental organizations united their efforts in a Humanitarian Rapid Response Base like the UNHRD which sends emergency humanitarian relief items anywhere in the world within 24 to 48 hours. Active partners of the UNHRD include UN agencies such as the World Health Organization (WHO) the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and World Food Programme who is in charge of the depot management. The partner non-governmental organizations include World Vision International, INTERSOS and Cooperazione Italiana.

The services that UNHRD provide to UN agencies, international humanitarian Organizations, governments and NGOs include: stockpiling rapid response equipment and survival items, emergency shipments and technical assistance in the field. The UNHRD can also offer “common services” with the aim of improving synergy between the various parties and organizations involved in emergency operations. In this sense, discussions are currently underway with many humanitarian organizations running emergency operations, in order to set-up a potential Humanitarian Response Network (HRN). This network will enable the parties to interact from various corners of the world.

The UNHRD is active since June 2000 following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Italian Government and the UN Secretary General for the use of premises on military installations in Italy for the support of both peace-keeping and humanitarian activities carried out by UN Organizations.

Fore more information on the UNHRD visit their website at http://www.unhrd.org/default.asp

Click here to view the detailed list of UN agencies and organizations involved and items transported by UNHRD.