Humanitarian logistics: support from USI to tackle the crisis in Ukraine
Institutional Communication Service
11 December 2023
Prof. Paulo Gonçalves and his PhD students carried out a course for UN personnel to provide training for their response to the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. The training took place a few weeks ago in Kosice, Slovakia, which is situated near the eastern border of Ukraine.
The Supply Chain Division (SCD) of the UN International Organisation for Migration (IOM) proposed the training seminar to enhance the skills of its staff in the field of Supply Chain Management. The seminar aimed to improve the ability of senior and mid-level managers to design, implement, manage and enhance humanitarian logistics processes. The programme was implemented by a team from USI, led by Prof. Paulo Gonçalves from the Faculty of Economics, along with his PhD students who managed and implemented the projects.
The conflict in Ukraine has created a significant need for humanitarian aid in the region. IOM has assisted nearly three million people in Ukraine and its neighbouring countries in finding shelter, accessing healthcare, and restarting their businesses since the conflict began. To achieve this, IOM has raised $1 billion and has consolidated logistical access to other UN agencies like WHO, WFP, UNHCR, and UNICEF. This funding amount is a record and has significantly increased the organisation's capacity, leading to operational challenges. The USI training programme helps to address these challenges.
