Page 16 - LUA September-October 2025 for Magzter

INTERVIEW

How does UNICEF’s

SUPPLY CHAIN ENSURE LIFE-

SAVING AID REACHES CHILDREN

ACROSS AFRICA ON TIME?

UNICEF ships 120,000–250,000 metric tonnes of humanitarian aid yearly, totalling ~12,000–18,000
shipments and around 20,000 TEU containers, mentioned Jean-Cedric Meeus, Chief of Global
Transport and Logistics, UNICEF, in an interview with Rajarshi Chatterjee.

ore than 210 million 250,000 metric tonnes of supplies for combined with industry partnerships. Every
children are in dire children and families every year, which five years, we tender long-term agreements
need of aid,” said Jean- is equivalent to around 20,000 TEU and with global freight forwarders for end-
“MCedric Meeus, Chief 12,000–18,000 shipments annually. About to-end operations. They operate regional
of the Global Transport Centre, UNICEF 80% of this cargo is transported by ocean control towers, maintain a presence in every
(United Nations Children’s Fund), which is freight, though air and road remain critical country, and can adapt to circumstances
a UN agency committed to protecting and depending on the emergency and location by handling customs clearance, creating
promoting children’s rights worldwide with of delivery. staging warehouses when borders are
a focus on health, nutrition, education, and Africa is at the heart of our operations. closed, or managing national distribution
overall well-being. Since its establishment More than half of UNICEF’s global supply when needed.
in 1946, the organisation has evolved to efforts are focused on the continent because
become one of the world’s largest buyers of that’s where children’s needs are most
goods and services for children. Each year, acute, but also where logistics are the most
it procures over $5 billion worth of supplies challenging. It’s relatively easy to ship to
and services ranging from vaccines and major ports like Lagos in Nigeria or Abidjan
medicines to food, education kits, and water in Côte d’Ivoire, but reaching inland
systems. These are translated into massive destinations such as Maiduguri (Nigeria),
shipping volumes that reach children in N’Djamena (Chad), or Bangui (Central
more than 160 countries. African Republic) is far more complex.
During the interview, Meeus Poor infrastructure, insecurity, and border
mentioned how UNICEF is delivering closures are frequent obstacles.
more than two billion doses of vaccines To manage this, UNICEF has developed
for routine immunisation and outbreak a flexible and agile but controlled shipping
management, enough to immunise nearly strategy. We have two global hubs—Dubai
half of the world’s children under five. For and Copenhagen—and smaller hubs in
UNICEF, humanitarian logistics is central Panama and Brindisi, supported by 400
to its mission. active warehouses worldwide. Only around
10% of our supplies go through these hubs;
? Can you expand more on UNICEF’s most are shipped directly from vendors.
humanitarian logistics operations in
This allows us to respond faster and more
Africa, if we look at a country-wise efficiently to children’s needs on the ground.
division of where you are most active? Our strategy relies on long-term
UNICEF delivers between 120,000 to agreements with freight forwarders

We [UNICEF] ship between

120,000 and 250,000 metric
tonnes of supplies for children
around the world on a yearly basis.

14 LUA SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2025