BONN: February 07, 2019. The Deutsche Post DHL Group (DPDHL Group) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) are celebrating 10 years of their ‘Get Airports Ready for Disaster’ (GARD) programme that has been held in 45 airports in 23 countries.

The programme is the result of experiences gained from supporting logistics at airports in the wake of disasters: “As a global logistics company we have the resources, skills and networks that can save lives after natural disasters,” commented DPDHL director for Humanitarian Affairs Chris Weeks. “We can show airports how to prepare for the surge of incoming response teams and relief goods.”

GARD was developed by Deutsche Post DHL Group in cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with the aim of preparing airports in disaster-prone areas to handle the surge of incoming relief goods after a natural disaster occurs. It also enables the various organizations and aid agencies to better understand the processes at the airport in the aftermath of a disaster, which will help facilitate relief efforts and enhance overall coordination.

Trainers and training materials are provided free-of-charge by DPDHL while workshop arrangements and logistics costs are fully covered by UNDP with a contribution from the German government.

Workshops have been held at airports in Armenia, Bangladesh, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Ecuador, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Lebanon, Macedonia, the Maldives, Nepal, Panama, Peru, the Philippines, the Seychelles, Sri Lanka and Turkey.

Pictured left to right: Carl Schelfhaut, DHL GoHelp manager Asia Pacific; Kim Melville, DHL Express senior director Global Airside and Standards; Gilberto Castro, manager of DPDHL Disaster Response Team Americas; Chris Weeks, and Paul Dowling, Customer Operations and Product Development manager for DHL Middle East/Africa.