Flexport.org, Unicef announce humanitarian aid deal

The United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) and Flexport.org, the impact arm of Flexport, a leader in global supply chain technology, announced a new partnership to drive access to humanitarian relief globally while exploring additional areas of collaboration for more effective, efficient and sustainable supply chains for humanitarian aid.

"The three-year partnership includes Flexport's support for Unicef's programmes, and will include collaboration leveraging Unicef and Flexport's respective global supply related expertise, assets and networks to reach children and their families across the world," says a release from Flexport.

The announcement builds on Unicef's collaborative relationship with Flexport.org, which began in 2021, and has helped enable access to essential supplies and services for children and their families across Afghanistan, Chad, Ethiopia, Pakistan, Ukraine, Venezuela and Yemen, the release added.

"Over the past two years, Flexport.org has supported Unicef in delivering more than 1.1 million lbs of critical supplies for Unicef's global humanitarian relief efforts. The partnership has already delivered $2 million in transportation costs for critical aid including ready-to-use-therapeutic food, syringes for vaccinations, wash supplies, diapers, blankets, and water tanks as well as stock replenishment and cold storage."

The new partnership agreement will support UNICEF in enhancing access to critical supplies needed for children to survive and thrive as well as broader humanitarian assistance around the world through four key pillars of engagement:

*In-kind transport of Unicef-managed supplies via airfreight, ocean freight and land transport in response to humanitarian crises, and to support Unicef's programmes and priorities worldwide;

*Emergency logistics solutions as situations arise including warehousing services, bespoke logistics support and targeted expertise;

*Supply chain sustainability solutions to reduce the environmental, social and economic impact of logistics; and

*Strategic supply chain planning to develop innovative solutions to increase access to essential supplies in the hardest-to-reach places.

"Efficient, streamlined logistics are critical to global humanitarian assistance response," says Kristen Dohnt, Head, Flexport.org. "We are excited to partner with Unicef to leverage our combined expertise to overcome logistics bottlenecks and improve the delivery of humanitarian supplies to children in need, especially in remote and challenging locations."

Etleva Kadilli, Director, global supply and logistics operations, Unicef adds: "Supply chains come under intense pressure during emergencies. This partnership with Flexport.org will help Unicef to address bottlenecks and quickly deliver life-saving supplies to children and their communities in times of crisis. We are grateful for the support and collaboration of Flexport.org to find supply chain and logistics solutions so that no child is left behind."