NEW YORK, NY: April 21, 2017. The United Nations is to cut its aircraft fleet and limit passenger flights to essential travel only, after revealing the organization spent close to US$750 million from 2015 to 2016 on air assets for its peacekeeping and political missions.
The UN currently deploys 58 fixed-wing and 157 helicopters in 12 peacekeeping and six special political missions.
U.N. secretary general António Guterres has asked the heads of U.N. field missions to analyze and adjust the composition and utilization of the current air fleet and seek "alternative solutions that may be more cost-effective".
"While these assets provide essential logistics and military enabling capabilities, given their significant cost implications, the policy change is part of an ongoing review of costs and the use of resources provided by Member States," said a spokesperson.
According to the U.N. World Food Programme (WFP), an initiative involving the advance positioning of food has enabled the organization to deliver 1.4 million tonnes in 45 days, a 63 percent reduction in delivery times.
With Nigeria, Somalia and Yemen facing the threat of famine, and famine already declared in parts of South Sudan, its Global Commodity Management Facility "is one of the most remarkable changes we have had in 50 years of WFP's history," said WFP Ethiopia director John Aylieff. "This literally saves lives."
Based on predictions of demand in a pool of countries, WFP releases funds to buy food in advance of a request. This means shipments will be already at the delivery port, or at an advanced stage in the supply chain process, when country offices need them.
Ethiopia is by far the largest user of the facility. Last year its cash purchases of 400,000 tonnes of food led to a 90 percent reduction in distribution lead-times.
Member States supporting the initiative include Canada, the UK Department for International Development (DFID), the European Commission's Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department (ECHO), Germany, Sweden and Switzerland.
On any given day, WFP has 20 ships, 70 planes and 5,000 trucks on the move. Every year, it distributes approximately 12.6 billion rations at an estimated average cost per ration of US$ 0.31.
COPENHAGEN: March 07, 2017. DSV and Denmark's Red Cross have signed a global logistics agreement that includes the donation of two warehouses.
With a total area of 2,000 square meters and located at Roskilde, 30 minutes drive from Copenhagen airport, the facility is split into two spaces – one for storing 60 tonnes of relief equipment and one for testing and training.
"We need space to store our relief equipment so we can act quickly when disaster strikes. It's absolutely key for us," said Anders Ladekari, president of Red Cross Denmark (left of picture). "It's a very welcome doubling of our warehouse capacity," he added.
In addition to providing free warehousing and logistics services, DSV will act as strategic partner to Red Cross Denmark and its 30 international partner countries. Support will include donations and logistics services as well as access to expertise and advice for both local and international events.
"For a while now, DSV has been looking for a global charity partner; and Red Cross was chosen, because we feel that we can help to make a difference doing what we do best – global transport and logistics," commented DSV CEO Jens Bjørn Andersen (right of picture). "Like DSV, Red Cross is an international organization, so we will be able to support Red Cross worldwide. We are looking very much forward to that."
Danish Red Cross head of International Affairs Birgitte Ebbesen said the organization was looking forward to having a professional logistics partner: "In Red Cross, we have a lot of experience with providing disaster and emergency relief, but we can't do much if we can't get our equipment and staff to the emergency area. We depend on being able to get there and acting quickly; this is something DSV can really help us with. It's a great plus for all of our projects."
DSV reported an operating profit of DKK3.47 billion on net revenue of DKK67.7 billion in 2016.
Net revenue in Q4 increased 39.8 percent to DKK17.6 billion mainly due to the acquisition of UTi Worldwide. DSV's Air & Sea division reported a 61.1 percent rise in revenue, the Road division 14.4 percent and the Solutions division 77.6 percent.
The company expects to spend an additional DKK500 million on UTi integration in 2017 and is forecasting an operating profit in the range of DKK4.2 to DKK4.5 billion for the year.
DUBAI: February 21, 2017. As the UN World Food Programme (WFP) and UNICEF declare a famine in South Sudan that threatens the lives of 100,000 people, the International Humanitarian City (IHC) in Dubai is to triple in size in response to increased demand from leading UN agencies and NGOs.
The move follows the approval by the Ruler of Dubai, HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, to expand warehousing facilities at IHC by 27,000 sq. mt. in support of the Red Crescent, UNHCR, ICRC and the WFP.
With intensifying conflicts in Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan, Nigeria and other trouble spots that have led to the mass displacement of over 65 million people worldwide, the expansion will help IHC members better pre-position stocks of food, shelter and medicine.
Founded in 2003, the IHC is the world's largest humanitarian logistics hub currently used by nine UN agencies, including the WFP, and nearly 50 NGOs and businesses working in the aid sector.
IHC provides its members with cold storage for perishables and medical supplies; an office complex; facilities management; Customs clearance; and registration for humanitarian organizations and commercial companies.
Sheikh Mohammed has also announced the appointment of former U.N. veteran logistician Giuseppe Saba as the new IHC CEO.
IHC chairperson HH Princess Haya bint Al Hussein commented: "There is no one in the global aid community with a stronger background in logistics than Giuseppe Saba. We are so fortunate to have him. [He] played an instrumental role in the founding of the United Nation's system of Humanitarian Response Depots, which HH Sheikh Mohammed has so generously supported."
According to UNICEF, the FAO and WFP, despite a substantial response by the aid community, food insecurity in South Sudan has deteriorated to unprecedented levels "owing to protracted violence, insecurity, displacement and a protection crisis that has prevented adequate humanitarian access and aid delivery".
In a joint statement UNICEF head Anthony Lake, WFP executive director Ertharin Cousin, and FAO director general Jose Graziano Da Silva have warned that almost five million South Sudanese are facing severe food insecurity and the situation is expected to get worse through the lean season that begins in July 2017.
"This famine is man-made. WFP and the entire humanitarian community have been trying with all our might to avoid this catastrophe, mounting a humanitarian response of a scale that quite frankly would have seemed impossible three years ago," said WFP country director Joyce Luma. "But we have also warned that there is only so much that humanitarian assistance can achieve in the absence of meaningful peace and security, both for relief workers and the crisis-affected people they serve," she added.
Meanwhile on February 20, the WFP announced it had received €8 million from European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), to provide food and nutritional assistance to refugees and continue operating the UN Humanitarian Air Service in Sudan.
"The humanitarian needs in Sudan are staggering. Some 5.8 million people, or 15 percent of the population, is in need of humanitarian assistance as a result of conflict, malnutrition, climate hazards or displacement," declared Sophie Battas, head of the ECHO office in Sudan.
Since 2012 the EU has contributed over US$140 million in humanitarian aid to WFP operations throughout the region.
DUBAI: January 18, 2017. DP World has announced it is joining Agility, Maersk and UPS, who together with TNT formed the Logistics Emergency Teams (LET), to help provide humanitarian logistics support in response to major disasters.
DP World signed a MoU with the World Food Programme (WFP) to join the group during the World Economic Forum in Davos this week, where the LET initiative began in 2005.
The company said it would provide shipment and storage of aid, plus selected employees in disaster-prone countries who have received specialized humanitarian logistics training.
The LET was the first partnership to combine the capacity and resources of the logistics industry with the expertise and experience of the humanitarian community to provide more effective and efficient disaster relief.
The LET teams are coordinated by the WFP's Logistics Cluster that facilitates access to common logistics services for all organizations responding to a humanitarian emergency.
Stephen Cahill, WFP Global Logistics Cluster coordinator explained: "Through the Logistics Emergency Teams, the WFP-led Logistics Cluster has access to the largest global network of transportation and logistics expertise, meaning life-saving assistance can be provided more quickly and efficiently following natural disasters."
Cahill said response during the first phase of any humanitarian crisis is highly important for how local communities are impacted in the long term, and he thought DP World would help support vital strategic relief efforts.
DP World chairman and CEO Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem added: "We take our responsibility to society very seriously, and by joining the Logistics Emergency Teams we can play a key role as part of a coordinated response across the trade and logistics industry. This crucial collaboration helps protect lives and we are pleased to be a part of it."
ROME/PARIS. December 02, 2016. The U.N. World Food Programme (WFP) and Red Cross societies say a forecast-based approach to humanitarian disasters would release funds for preparedness and response before the crisis occurs.
The German Red Cross (GRC), together with the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, said they have successfully tested the new model with the WFP's Food Security Climate Resilience Facility (FoodSECuRE) in Uganda that has saved time, lives and money.
Increasing climate disasters, humanitarian needs and short-term financing mechanisms mean that new approaches are urgently required, according to the U.N. The WFP FoodSECuRE model that blends scientific forecasting with flexible long-term financing is the latest answer.
The WFP said its 2015 FoodSECuRE analysis in Sudan and Niger showed that using a forecast-based system lowered the cost of the humanitarian response by 50 percent.
"The humanitarian system is increasingly stretched financially and operationally. More weather disasters require responses in more places and for longer periods," explained WFP executive director Ertharin Cousin. "Turning the FoodSECuRE tool into a meaningful global facility will require mobilizing US$400 million," she added.
In Uganda recently, funds were released from the GRC preparedness fund to allow the Uganda Red Cross to distribute items based on a flood forecast. As a result Red Cross volunteers distributed water purification tablets and flood protection items to hundreds of vulnerable families prior to the subsequent event.
Currently the GRC coordinates the German Federal Foreign Office's Action Plan on Climate with forecast-based financing in Bangladesh, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Mozambique, Nepal, Peru and the Philippines.
In a related move, Lufthansa Cargo and the GRC have signed an agreement to simplify and accelerate the preparation of aid flights to more than 50 countries where the GRC operates.
"We are really delighted to have Lufthansa Cargo on board, a partner we can rely on in a disaster", said GRC secretary general Christian Reuter.
Lufthansa Cargo CEO Peter Gerber expressed a similar sentiment and added: "When every minute counts, strong partners who can work together optimally are needed." (right of picture with Christian Reuter).
MEMPHIS: January 16, 2017. More than 3,000 volunteers from corporate, civic and faith-based groups across the U.S. packed half a million meals on Martin Luther King Day in support of Stop Hunger Now.
Founded in 1998, the non-profit organization has delivered aid and disaster relief supplies in the form of food, medical supplies, clothing and school supplies to thousands of disaster victims and other hungry and vulnerable people in 73 countries.
This is the fourth year that FedEx has worked with Stop Hunger Now and on this occasion provided 600 employee volunteers with an opportunity to honor Dr. King's legacy through service.
The food was packed in Memphis, Atlanta, Washington, D.C., Newark, N.J., Boston, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, Houston, Orlando and San Francisco.
The company has also provided a US$30,000 grant to help deliver the dehydrated meals comprised of rice, soy, vegetables and 23 essential vitamins and minerals to people in Zambia, Haiti and Vietnam.
"FedEx is proud to again mark Dr. King's birthday by supporting Stop Hunger Now," said Rose Flenorl, manager, FedEx Global Citizenship. "Our team members are committed to making an impact in communities where we live and work, and by supporting this cause we can help to perpetuate corporate and societal values that are consistent with Dr. King's vision of America."
Other corporations and groups involved in the day of packing included Walmart Global eCommerce; United Methodist Churches in Virginia, Tennessee, New Jersey and North Carolina; Wake Tech Community College in Raleigh, N.C.; Haverford Middle School in Haverton, PA; St. Andrew School in Newtown, PA and Shenandoah University in Winchester, VA.
AMSTERDAM: November 3, 2016. Social enterprise Circle Economy has received a €250,000 grant from the C&A Foundation for its 'Circle Textiles Programme'.
Created in 2014, the program is developing a commercial and scalable model for closing the loop on post-industrial, pre-consumer, and post-consumer textiles.
"Thanks to C&A Foundation's generous grant, we can push this ambitious program to the next level and take the bold steps necessary to scale our zero waste mission. We plan to build on the success and expertise of the Circle Textiles Program to date, but also develop new tools for the industry that are critical in engaging companies in closed loop strategies," said Gwen Cunningham at Circle Economy.
The cooperative will develop a 'Circle Fashion' tool to support global brand decision makers understand the business case and environmental impacts behind closed-loop recycling and sourcing, plus the environmental and economic impacts of textile waste within the industry.
The C&A Foundation, set up by the C&A fashion group, thinks the industry "isn't working for the good of the 150 million people who make our clothes," adding that forced labour is hidden in "complex, murky supply chains".
Executive director Leslie Johnston commented: "We believe that fashion can be a force for good. Circle Economy's pragmatic, tool-based approach will make it easier for the global apparel industry to transition to new, restorative business models."
In December last year the European Commission published its revised proposals to encourage EU Member States adopt a circular economy which it claims will save companies €600 billion, create 580,000 jobs, and reduce carbon emissions by 450 million tonnes a year.
The proposals cover the 'cradle-to-cradle' lifecycle from production and consumption to waste management and the market for secondary raw materials. The goal is to extract the maximum value and use from all raw materials, products and waste.
The EC has made €6.15 billion available in new funding in order to halve food waste by 2030, develop quality standards for secondary raw materials, and promote standards for reparability, durability and recyclability of products.
BRUSSELS/ROME: January 09, 2017. The U.N. World Food Programme (WFP) says Belgium donated over €28 million to WFP projects in eight countries last year.
As the third largest donor to WFP's Immediate Response Account, and the second largest donor since 2010, Belgium says it continues to help the agency respond to disasters, wherever and whenever.
During the year the country also contributed €500,000 to a pilot project to develop and use a drone-based coordination model for humanitarian emergencies; supported WFP's Mobile Vulnerability Analysis and Mapping (mVAM) system to carry out assessments in real-time in conflict zones; and gave nearly €6 million to the WFP-managed U.N. Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS).
"WFP and Belgium nourish a fruitful partnership with WFP ranking this year as our second humanitarian partner in terms of funding," said Alexander De Croo, Belgium's deputy prime minister. "The humanitarian community needs more than ever an organization such as WFP and Belgium is ready to continue contributing to WFP's excellent humanitarian work in the field of food assistance, logistics, and innovation," he added.
The country's support last year helped the WFP respond to crises in Afghanistan, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Lebanon, Mali, Niger, the Occupied Palestinian Territories and South Sudan.
"The government of Belgium is a valued partner for WFP," said Krystyna Bednarska, director of the WFP's Brussels office. "In yet another year of unprecedented needs, Belgium has answered the call to ensure the humanitarian community can reach those left furthest behind first, supporting innovative approaches and coordinated responses," she noted.
CHICAGO: October 18, 2016. Brambles, the global pallet-pooling logistics company, has signed a three-year finance agreement with the Global FoodBanking Network (GFN).
The GFN operates 792 food banks in 32 countries and last year redirected 422,000 tonnes of food to feed more than 6.8 million people through 27,000 social service organizations.
Brambles says it will help the GFN by providing supply chain knowledge, in-kind contributions, volunteers and donations to help reduce hunger, poverty, malnutrition and food waste globally.
According to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), 1.3 billion tonnes of food, a third of global production, is wasted annually at a cost of US$990 billion - while nearly 800 million people suffer from hunger every day.
Of the 17 U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), zero hunger is the No.2 goal after no poverty. The World Bank acknowledges the reduction in food waste is critical to achieving this goal while protecting the environment and growing economic opportunity.
Commenting on the support for the GFN, Brambles CEO Tom Gorman said: "We are focused on reducing post-harvest food loss, [while] improving the ability of small holder farmers to access modern packaging that protects the integrity of the product and enhances food safety.
"Whether we are working with individual food banks, the GFN, The Consumer Goods Forum or Enactus our employees are dedicated to improving access to food and economic opportunity and to improving the sustainability of our environment," he added.
The SDGs, which came into effect in January this year, are a universal call to action. U.N. Development Programme administrator Helen Clark says they provide a common plan to tackle poverty, climate change and conflict. As the lead U.N. development agency, her organization helps implement the 17 goals in 170 countries.
In addition to Brambles, GFN partners include Caterpillar, Macquarie, General Mills, Pepsico, Bank of America, Cargill, Kellogg's, Radisson and Hilton.
Acknowledging the FAO World Food Day on October 16, GFN president and CEO Lisa Moon noted: "No one company, government or organization is big enough to move markets and solve the problem of food security alone. We must work together on a finite planet to produce enough food for more people. Nothing can be more urgent to secure our future, and that of our children."
LIEGE: December 08, 2016. Panalpina has donated another Holiday Season charter flight to UNICEF - on this occasion carrying 80 tons of aid to N'Djamena, Chad from Liege Airport that also helped out with a 50 percent reduction in charges.
This is the fourth time the company has partnered with the U.N children's organization in response to a humanitarian crisis in Africa. Last year the company carried 70 tons of aid on an MD-11 freighter to Bujumbura, Burundi.
In 2014 the company flew life-saving aid to Sierra Leone to help fight the Ebola outbreak, and in 2013 flew desperately needed food and medicines to the Central African Republic.
The idea for Panalpina's annual relief flights was prompted by a discussion about the company's traditional Christmas gifts for customers and employees. It was decided that a charitable donation in the form of an aircraft charter for UNICEF would be of more value.
"Our goal is to reach the most vulnerable children that are in dire need of help. In landlocked Chad, there are many of them," commented Elsbeth Mueller, executive director of the Swiss committee for UNICEF. "We are very grateful for Panalpina's continued support with yet another relief flight to Africa."
As a result of crop failure from climate change in the country, and an influx of refugees escaping Boko Haram-style atrocities in Nigeria, Sudan and the Central African Republic, 3.9 million people are affected by the current crisis including 2.2 million children - of which nearly 200,000 under the age of five are suffering from acute malnutrition.
The latest aid shipment included vaccination equipment, malaria treatments, paracetamol, disinfectant, water purification tablets, hygiene sets, 15 tons of therapeutic milk sachets and 22 tons of blankets and tarpaulins.
"As in previous years, we decided that a charitable donation in the form of an aircraft charter for UNICEF would be of more value than Christmas gifts for customers and employees," said Panalpina CEO Stefan Karlen. "The goal of our donated charter remains the same too: to bring some respite to those who are less fortunate than us, especially children," he added.
According to an October situation report, UNICEF needed US$64.6 million for relief work in Chad this year. With three weeks left of 2016, it has received US$32 million.
ZURICH: September 28, 2016. A report from business intelligence company RepRisk says the rise in human trafficking worldwide poses a supply chain risk for companies sourcing raw materials and manufactured goods.
The RepRisk study that includes coverage of Food and Beverage, Personal/ Household Goods and Support Services concludes what the U.N. describes as "serious crime and a grave violation of human rights," is on the increase in both emerging markets and developed nations.
According to company CEO Philipp Aeby, human trafficking ranks the highest on RepRisk's list of 28 environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks.
The U.N. Trafficking in Persons Protocol covers the "recruitment, transportation, and harboring of persons by means of abduction, coercion, or deception for the purpose of exploitation." According to the Human Rights Law Network, human trafficking is the third largest form of global organized crime, after firearms and drugs.
UNICEF says 168 million children live as child laborers around the world. Some 85 million are trapped in hazardous work, while a large percentage are also victims of trafficking.
The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that 21 million people are trapped in jobs they cannot leave, after being lured into them. The ILO says Asia-Pacific, Africa and Latin America have the highest number of trafficked and enslaved workers, and advises companies that source finished goods or raw material from these areas to "carry out extra due diligence".
The RepRisk's report says the top five industry sectors for human trafficking are Food and Beverage; Personal and Household Goods; Support Services; Travel and Leisure; and Construction and Materials. The top five ESG issues are Human rights abuses and corporate complicity; Poor employment conditions; Forced labor; Child labor; and Fraud.
Companies cited in the Food & Beverage sector include Trillium Farms Holdings; Wal-Mart; Nestlé; Archer Daniels Midland and Bumble Bee. The reports says countries with the most activity are the U.S., Thailand, Ivory Coast, Malaysia and Mali
Under the Personal & Household Goods report segment, RepRisk identifies Leisure Clothing; Aquascutum (1851); Austin Reed Group; China Chongqing International Corporation for Economic and Technical Cooperation; and Daks Simpson Group. The countries most associated with this sector are Malta, Argentina, India, Bolivia, Jordan, Russia, and the UK.
RepRisk says its reports are compiled using information from its ESG database containing risk incidents on over 75,000 listed and non-listed companies, as well as over 18,000 projects.
