In May, a Category 4 cyclone hit Myanmar, killing 30,000 people and displaced over 2 million others. In response to this disaster, Agility and partners UPS and TNT were mobilized by the Global Logistics Cluster, comprised of major UN agencies and international NGOs, to offer support to the relief operations. This is the first time that cross-company Logistics Emergency Teams (LETs) have been called into action to help the humanitarian community set up a supply chain for relief goods.
The first part of the relief efforts involved using Bangkok as the logistics hub into Myanmar. Agility and our partners provided basic information on transportation, warehousing, and customs clearance support for organizations like the World Food Program, Oxfam and International Medical Corps, during the start-up phase of the relief operation. Agility also participated in the media event to kick off air bridge operations in Bangkok. Frank Clary, H.E.L.P. Manager, commented: "We got to see the first flight of UN material to Yangon from Bangkok and we helped offload outbound cargo that went into Yangon. We are right on the frontline alongside the UN on this project.”
On May 27th, 2008, Frank Clary went into Myanmar to help oversee the LETs operations, as they managed UN Logistics Cluster warehouse and transportation operations on the Cluster’s behalf. Working with TNT, Agility transformed a commercial operations warehouse into an NGO operation, by implementing inventory and management processes that were compatible with the World Food Program systems. This operation was unique in that it was the first time private sector companies embedded with the United Nations and worked directly with their relief operations. Agility, TNT and UPS worked on a daily basis with the UN to receive and dispatch cargo as efficiently and quickly as possible.
The Myanmar operation also marks the first time Agility, TNT and UPS have teamed together in a major disaster operation to support the humanitarian community as an integrated team. Says Clary: “Our hands are on the freight, we’re leveraging our intra-organizational strengths, and we’re planning and cooperating on a regular basis to get things done. We are meeting with the UN as a group and taking tasking in the same way. We are one team focusing on one job: Getting freight to the disaster area as quickly as possible.”
Agility employees worldwide also showed their support for Myanmar relief efforts through fundraising for International Medical Corps, Save the Children and the World Food Program.