Page 52 - Linkline Autumn 2015

suPPLy ChaIn & LogIsTICs In syrIa
When you think of a humanitarian crisis what is the rst thing you think of? Thousands of people eeing con ict or a natural disaster? Yes. People living in tents at sides of roads? Yes. Hunger, thirst and lack of sanitation facilities? Yes. But would you ever think about Supply Chain & Logistics in con ict zones? How does that work? Does it happen at all? Surely it must be haphazard, small loads/multiple deliveries. Where would you even start?
Will Holden CMILT
Dear Linkline Readers,
I am the Managing Director and Founder of the Emergency Logistics
Team. I am currently working with Goal as interim Logistics Coordinator
in Syria (one of the largest projects that Goal has engaged in). Hundreds
of thousands of people in the Idleb Governorate area of north west Syria depend on Goal for the daily water and sanitation requirements. This is in itself a massive logistical and engineering project with large scale generators supplying the energy required to pump millions of litres of water and daily repairs having to be carried out in very dangerous locations with the constant threat of air strikes which could occur any time, day or night. Without going into the speci cs of this, as it would take too long, it takes a sizeable team
of people to manage and carry out all of the daily functions of what is a municipal area of approx. 1.5 million people. But life here goes on...
An example of one of our logistics operations is the supply of our to local bakeries. Thousands of metric tonnes of our are delivered throughout north west Syria and a huge cost reaching into the millions of US dollars. Full procurement processes follow, ensuring transparency throughout, coordination between suppliers, hauliers, security check point of the Syrian border and then onward to be distributed throughout Idleb to numerous bakeries where contracts were awarded based on quality and ability to produce huge amounts of bread on a daily basis.
And how could we forget the food kits and NFI (non-food items) that are required in the region. Again procurement in the tens of millions of US dollars in the pipeline and already delivered in 2015 alone. Yet it is barely enough to cover the regions requirements. Close to 100,000 food kits are either on order, en route or in our warehouses in Syria. Think about this for a minute: that is 100,000 families food supply for about a month. Basic rations which should technically cover their calori c requirements but with the funding reducing, or not being realised in the rst instance with approx 60% of funding for 2015 not yet received, this results in choices having
to be made: do we supply a smaller number of families or do we reduce the food kit so that the same number of families receive at least something so they do not starve. What a call to make...
And then we have the rest of the logistics operations
to consider. Over 400 staff based throughout Syria and Turkey, laptops, phones, of ce supports, HR, nance, security, training, health & safety and so on. While all
the time recognising the fact that many of our Syria staff have been deeply affected by the con ict as it is ongoing, it is real and its happening every single day. Their mental health is foremost in our minds as we ask them to carry out their normal workload in such a bizarre situation for them and their families. We all have our own problems
The CharTered InsTITuTe of LogIsTICs & TransporT 37
SuppLY ChaIN & LOgISTICS IN SYrIa