It enables these partners to assist people affected by natural disasters or other complex emergencies by prepositioning vital relief items and allowing them to be dispatched rapidly to critical areas.
Today's UNHRD Network dates back to an initiative by the Italian government in the mid-1980s: to pre-position relief items and support equipment for humanitarian operations at its military airport facilities.
Expanding on the success of this method and envisioning a global network, WFP transformed the humanitarian depot into a logistic hub for emergency preparedness and response.
Upon the decision of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC), the mandate to provide rapid and accessible stockpiling and demobilisation services to partners inside and outside the United Nations was transferred from OCHA to WFP.
UNHRD offers a range of supply chain solutions to relief organizations around the globe, acting as a 'one-stop-shop' to its partners for storage, procurement, transport, handling, stock borrowing, technical field assistance and training centre facilities.