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by Angela Cavallari Walker
In the wake of Haiti's deadly earthquake on January 12, 2010, an estimated three million people are in need of food, water and medical supplies. The unconfirmed homeless rate is anywhere from 200,000 to 1.5 million, says the American Red Cross. So far, fundraising campaigns have been successful, but that is just the first step of many when it comes to the tedious task of delivering these products into the hands of those in dire need.
Logistics volunteer organizations such as the American Logistics Aid Networks or ALAN play a critical role in the herculean effort to get these items into areas ravished by disaster. ALAN acts as the primary contact for donated products, equipment, and services such as warehousing, material handling, and transportation. The non-profit organization was founded in response to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
Back then, there was not a system in place to communicate and distribute disaster donations to areas most impacted by devastation. “I saw most of the relief groups have things that they did not expect to arrive," says ALAN President, John Menzies. ALAN developed a system using an Aidmatrix platform that enables both state federal relief agencies to post supply chain needs. The portal matches NGO needs to ALAN sponsors and volunteers. An NGO or a non-governmental agency refers to any group with no representation of government. “As an organization we want to support a specific need by an NGO," says Menzies.
Currently, military and government agencies control most of the supplies that go in and out of Haiti. Menzies describes Haiti's logistical status as a pull situation rather than a push. For Haiti, the real challenge right now is priority setting and getting supplies there. Overall, Menzies has been pleased with the progress in Haiti as donations continue to flow in through product matches. “We''ve helped our NGOs connect and helped some people on the ground by enabling relationships to get things done.”
Click here to view and track the logistical progress of these supplies delivered to Haiti
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