Tuesday, November 12, 2013
On November 7th, one of the largest and deadliest storms ever recorded—super Typhoon Haiyan—made landfall in the Philippines. Relief efforts have only just begun in the wake of massive destruction and significant loss of life. While aid from the United States and other countries began to flow in on Monday, getting supplies into the affected areas is still a challenge, since roads are blocked by debris and airports are shut down.
The American Logistics Aid Network (ALAN) is supporting U.S. domestic logistics requests, including requests for transportation and warehouse space. We are working closely with the US arms of partner agencies to determine what resources are most needed. We will post those requests to our portal as soon as details become available. Right now, we anticipate a need for warehouse space near U.S. West Coast air and sea ports.
ALAN has been busy making connections on behalf of relief organizations and businesses seeking to help
-We are working with a medical surplus recycling organization to transport water purification systems to the airport in Houston.
-ALAN is helping coordinate the shipment of one million donated surgical masks from St. Louis, MO.
-The Procurement and Supply Institute of Asia (PASIAworld) will hold their annual conference on November 21 and 22; they expect some 200 supply chain companies to attend the event at the Marriott Hotel in Manila. ALAN has connected PASIAworld and a Louisiana disaster management think tank for a possible collaboration for that conference to share lessons learned and to strengthen the Philippines’ emergency management network.
Businesses who wish to offer support can contact Kathy@ALANAid.org or Patrick@ALANAid.org, or view appeals posted on the ALAN portal. The current needs include product-related requests for generators, food, household supplies, tarps, and other goods. Because needs are still emerging, stay tuned to www.ALANAid.org, to follow developments over the coming days and weeks as they navigate what promises to be an extremely challenging recovery period.
We want to remind everyone to please remember to “connect before you collect”; before donating, make sure you have spoken directly with an aid group and know precisely what they need, where it needs to go, and how you’ll get it to them. Sending supplies from the U.S. is costly and slow. Many organizations prefer cash so they can buy supplies locally; doing so will help the Philippine economy recover quickly.
The ALAN portal lists some product-related requests for generators, food, household supplies, tarps, and other goods. ALAN does not actively solicit product donations, but some businesses may wish to see and support those requests.
ALAN was founded by several professional and trade associations who came together after Hurricane Katrina to help provide humanitarian relief. Today, ALAN comprises hundreds of supply chain businesses who stand poised to respond in the event of disasters. ALAN provides experts in transportation, warehousing, cold storage, and distribution, and can help locate and move goods from suppliers to affected communities rapidly and efficiently.
MHI is a founding trade association of ALAN.