Mumbai, July 18, 2022: Deutsche Post DHL (DPDHL) Group, the world’s leading logistics company, has deployed part of its Disaster Response Team (DRT) in Assam, following the heavy monsoons and devastating floods in that region. Working closely with the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), the well-trained DRT volunteers facilitated the managing, storing, sorting and packing of incoming relief material for kitting, to ensure the smooth flow of around 30 tons of relief goods for distribution to the communities in the flood-affected areas.
Providing the combined strength of DHL and Blue Dart’s logistics expertise, the team assisted ASDMA in storing and managing the incoming relief material at DHL Supply Chain’s warehouse in Guwahati. DHL Express is also delivering 5,000 Speedballs, by which relief materials are packed in durable, waterproof DHL courier bags, each weighing up to 30 kilograms. These bags include food items, hygiene kits, personal and essential care materials packed by DHL and Blue Dart volunteers. ASDMA is distributing the relief material to the remote flood-affected towns and villages.
“The DHL and Blue Dart teams, worked closely with ASDMA and provided their expertise to corporates and NGOs for critical logistics support in the movement of relief supplies. Our volunteers are no stranger to the complexity posed by natural disasters. Their commitment and professionalism are highly valued and commendable,” said Carl Schelfhaut, VP & Regional Head for both the Post & Parcel Division and GoHelp for the Asia Pacific Region for DPDHL.
Prone to natural disasters which include acute floods, earthquakes storms, landslides and severe soil erosion, the Assam government has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the DPDHL Group, under which their DRT will extend mutually agreed logistics support to ASDMA to undertake relief operations in the state.
Since the beginning of May 2022, deadly floods have hit northeastern India and Bangladesh, affecting over nine million people in both countries, with around 150 deaths being reported. Millions of people across the affected areas are in urgent need of food and medicine.
“The scale and severity of the floods in Assam required an immediate response. I was happy to lead our passionate team of well trained volunteers to provide specialized logistics support to facilitate the fast and efficient distribution of aid to the affected communities,” said Amardeep Choudhary in his voluntary role as GoHelp Manager for India, Sri Lanka and Maldives.
GoHelp is the disaster management program of DPDHL Group. It comprises disaster preparedness through the program “Get Airports Ready for Disaster” (GARD) and disaster response via the Disaster Response Teams (DRTs). In a partnership with the United Nations since 2005, Deutsche Post DHL Group provides the UN with access to its core competence in logistics, its global network and the know-how of its employees free of charge.
In cooperation with UN OCHA, DPDHL established a global Disaster Response Teams (DRT) network to support airports in a natural disaster. The DRT network consists of over 600 trained DHL volunteers, who can be deployed within 72 hours. Since 2005, the DRTs have been deployed over 50 times worldwide, with the most recent deployment in Asia to Sulawesi, Indonesia following the catastrophic tsunami in October 2018. Also, the airport preparedness program, GARD, has been implemented jointly with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to 60 airports in 28 countries: Armenia, Bangladesh, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Lebanon, Macedonia, Mauritius, Nepal, Panama, Peru, the Philippines, Turkey and Sri Lanka.
