Will Worley, the New Humanitarian reporter and editor for policy, recently interviewed Lila Ricart, deputy project manager of the Emergency Supply Prepositioning Strategy (ESUPS), a group that helps NGOs organize their lifesaving supplies.
Emergency response logistics – the vital but often overlooked backbone of humanitarian aid – faces an existential threat as funding cuts place decades of progress at risk. Here’s what’s happening behind the scenes of global crisis response: Logistics and supply chains consume roughly 70% of humanitarian operation costs, yet it is often neglected in funding decisions. These systems enable everything from tent distribution to medicine delivery in crisis zones
Agencies worldwide are already cutting logistics budgets due to USAID’s closure. Ricart warns that this will lead to increased waste and inefficiency, a lack of coordination among organizations, and ultimately higher costs for delivering the same aid.
Despite recent modernization of humanitarian logistics, maintaining hard-won improvements requires continued investment in logistics infrastructure and pre-positioned supplies, supply chain efficiencies, and innovation to build more resilient systems. As humanitarian organizations navigate this challenging landscape, the decisions made about logistics will directly determine how effectively aid reaches those who need it most.
This story was originally published by The New Humanitarian (linked here). The New Humanitarian puts quality, independent journalism at the service of the millions of people affected by humanitarian crises around the world. Find out more here.
