SUPPLY ANNUAL REPORT 2008 Local Delivery Global ... - Unicef

Responding in emergencies
There were six large scale emergencies
in the year, three of which were natural
disasters (China earthquake, Myanmar
cyclone and the food crisis in the Horn
of Africa), two manmade disasters
(Democratic Republic of Congo and
Georgia) and one large cholera epidemic
in Southern Africa which commenced
in Zimbabwe. In total, Supply supported
74 countries in emergencies in the year,
an increase of 10 from 2007, and 29
supply and logistics staff were deployed
to assist locally.
In response to two major disasters
in May 2008, Cyclone Nargis which
killed an estimated 85,000 people,
and directly affected 2.4 million, and
the earthquake in the Sichuan province
of China, which claimed the lives
of 80,000 people and left five million
homeless, tonnes of emergency supplies
were sent from our different hubs,
including our new hub in Shanghai
which opened in April 2008. We also relied on support from our suppliers who directly delivered goods to the
affected countries.
An essential element of our emergency response is the Logistics Cluster, led by the World Food Programme (WFP),
which supports UNICEF and other UN agencies and international organizations to ensure timely delivery of commodities
to beneficiaries in difficult situations. In Myanmar for example, emergency supplies reached beneficiaries
faster and UNICEF saved more than $3 million thanks to an air bridge between Bangkok and Yangoon set up by
the Cluster.
In 2008, a review of the Core Commitments for Children in Emergencies (CCCs), which guide UNICEF’s emergency
response and commitments for humanitarian crises, was initiated - in response to the changing operational
context for humanitarian agencies. As part of this review, Supply began a comprehensive revision of the Emergency
Supplies List, increasing the number of items, improving specifications and strengthening global supply chain
strategies to ensure faster and more efficient emergency responses.
Quick facts
• Supply supported 74 countries and territories in emergencies in 2008
• US$ 75.5 million worth of supplies sent in response to emergencies
Woman feeds her child outside a camp established for people displaced by
the May earthquake in the city of Mianyang in Sichuan Province, China.
14 SUPPLY ANNUAL REPORT 2008