- Three teams of 12
volunteers processed cargo from approximately 50 aircraft over 20 days at Beira
Airport to support relief efforts in the wake of Cyclone Idai
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BONN, GERMANY�-�Media OutReach�-�April 17, 2019 - Deutsche Post DHL (DPDHL) Group, the world's leading mail and logistics services
provider, has ended its
first Disaster Response Team (DRT) deployment in Africa. On Friday April 12,
2019 the last DRT members moved out of Beira, where cyclone Idai the month before
damaged over 700,000 hectares of crops, and destroyed close to 200,000 homes.[1]
The team, in its time there, moved nearly 800 tonnes of incoming humanitarian
aid from approximately 50 aircraft for further distribution to those displaced
and affected by this natural disaster.
Member of DRT drives a forklift at Beira Airport to support relief efforts in the wake of Cyclone Idai.
Members of DRT work to offload supplies at Beira Airport to support relief efforts in the wake of Cyclone Idai.
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DPDHL
Group's DRT was deployed at Beira Airport between March 24 and April 12, 2019
at the request of the United Nations. 12 DHL volunteers from Mozambique, South Africa and United Arab Emirates
worked in rotation across three teams. Over the course of nearly
three weeks, the volunteers handled incoming relief goods
and coordinated incoming humanitarian aid for the United Nations and
international relief organizations.
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Chris Weeks, Director for Humanitarian Affairs at
Deutsche Post DHL Group who headed up the deployment said, "This particular
deployment was groundbreaking for us in that it was our first mission to
Africa. The challenges however were familiar and within the first few days of
arriving the DRT firmly established its coordination expertise in the supply
chain of incoming humanitarian aid." He continued, "All too often the sudden
influx of relief aid to an airport creates bottlenecks and aid is unable to get
out in a timely manner. This was precisely the scenario the team was trying to
avoid and able to do so successfully."
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During their time
in Mozambique, the DRT acted as a liaison between the
Beira Airport Authorities (ADM) and the large humanitarian community who
occupied a vast area at the airport. The team supported international relief
organizations such as IFRC, UNICEF, UNHCR, WHO, ASB, WFP, USAid and UKAid, and assisted
with handling equipment, driving forklifts and high-loaders, and ensuring there
was no build-up of incoming shipments.
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"Over 80 partners including the
Government of Mozambique, NGOs, UN agencies and Red Cross teams are taking part
in the humanitarian response following Cyclone Idai, one of the worst
tropical�cyclones�ever to�hit�Africa and the southern
hemisphere. The logistics expertise of Deutsche Post DHL Group's DRT
complemented the relief efforts from all these different partners at Beira Airport.
We are grateful to the DHL volunteers who worked tirelessly alongside the
humanitarian community to help move relief items efficiently in order for those
affected to receive help as quickly as possible", explains Stephen Cahill,
Global Logistics Cluster Coordinator at United Nations World Food Programme.
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About the
Disaster Response Team
The DRTs are part
of DPDHL Group's GoHelp disaster management program, which it has operated in
partnership with the United Nations (UN) since 2005. Through this partnership,
the Group provides the UN and national disaster management agencies with pro
bono access to its core logistics expertise, and the logistics skills of more
than 500 specially-trained employee volunteers worldwide who can deploy within
72 hours after a natural disaster.�
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Since the
partnership was launched, the DRTs have completed more than 40 deployments for
different natural disasters in over 20 countries -- most recently the team
helped the victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Palu, Indonesia in October
2018.
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In addition to the
DRT deployments, the Group's Get Airports Ready for Disaster (GARD) initiative --
also part of the GoHelp program -- trains airport management in high-risk
regions to be better prepared should disaster strike.
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You can find the
press release for download as well as further information on dpdhl.com/pressreleases
You can read more
about our CR activities in our latest CR Report.
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On
the Internet: dpdhl.de/press
Follow us at: twitter.com/DeutschePostDHL
[1]
United Nations Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs
About Deutsche Post DHL Group
Deutsche Post DHL Group is the world's leading mail and logistics
company. The Group connects people and markets and is an enabler of global
trade. It aspires to be the first choice for customers, employees and investors
worldwide. The Group contributes to the world through responsible business
practices, corporate citizenship and environmental activities. By the year
2050, Deutsche Post DHL Group aims to achieve zero emissions logistics.
Deutsche
Post DHL Group is home to two strong brands: Deutsche Post is Europe's leading
postal service provider. DHL offers a comprehensive range of international
express, freight transport, and supply chain management services, as well as
e-commerce logistics solutions. Deutsche Post DHL Group employs approximately
550,000 people in over 220 countries and territories worldwide. The Group
generated revenues of more than 61 billion Euros in 2018.
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Die Post f�r Deutschland. The
logistics company for the world.
