Humanitarian Operations

Year	Country	Humanitarian Operations and Preparedness projects
2019	Lebanon	Fleet Management Training workshop for humanitariain logisticians
2019	Malaysia	Delivery of donated relief materials for flood-affected families in Johor Bahru
2019	Bangladesh	Customers Workshop in Cox's Bazaar with the Logistics Emergency Team*
2019	Mozambique	Cyclon Idai Flood Relief Donation to hasten delivery of aid materials
2019	Bahamas	Hurricane Dorian Relief Fundraising for World Food Kitchen
2019	South Sudan	Agility Tristar warehouse and distribution safety training for humanitarian logisticians
2018	Bangladesh	Preparedness activities with the Logistics Emergency Teams*
2018	Indonesia	Preparedness activities with the Logistics Emergency Teams*
2018	Indonesia	Donation of trucks and logistics coordination in Palu, Indonesia after a tsunami*
2018	Iraq	Donation of customs clearance process documentation and management support*
2018	Lebanon	Donation of humanitarian logistics/fleet operations training to Red Cross/Crescent*
2018	Nigeria	Logistics Capacity Assessment for port clearance process and timelines (import constraint mapping)
2018	Somalia	Donation of consultative services to help the World Food Programme build local market resilience

Agility’s Lebanon Relief Activities

Following the Port of Beirut explosion on August 4, 2020, Agility provided support to a number of humanitarian partners.

Lebanon, 2020

#keepcargomoving: Agility’s Donated Logistics Services

When COVID-19 brought the world to a halt, Agility donated services to keep essential cargo moving.

Global, 2020

Agility’s Lebanon Relief Activities

Following the Port of Beirut explosion on August 4, 2020, Agility provided support to a number of humanitarian partners.

Lebanon, 2020

#keepcargomoving: Agility’s Donated Logistics Services

When COVID-19 brought the world to a halt, Agility donated services to keep essential cargo moving.

Global, 2020

Moving Soaps Across Indonesia

Agility moved 150,000 bars of soap across the country for a global consumer goods company that donated soap to humanitarian organizations in Indonesia, including UNICEF, as part of its COVID-19 response. Watch how our team navigated geographic complexities and lockdown measures.

Indonesia, 2020

Moving Soaps Across Indonesia

Agility moved 150,000 bars of soap across the country for a global consumer goods company that donated soap to humanitarian organizations in Indonesia, including UNICEF, as part of its COVID-19 response. Watch how our team navigated geographic complexities and lockdown measures.

Indonesia, 2020

Agility India Helps in the Development of Rural Schools

Agility India supported 420 students at local schools in two villages near Pune; part of its initiative to help develop rural schools. The Agility volunteers worked with the school administration to set up a water purifier to ensure safe drinking water, installed solar panels on school grounds to help reduce electricity costs by nearly 60%, outfitted a science lab and a computer lab, and built washroom facilities to help encourage female students to continue their secondary education studies.

India, 2020
420 Beneficiaries
3 Volunteers

Agility India Helps in the Development of Rural Schools

Agility India supported 420 students at local schools in two villages near Pune; part of its initiative to help develop rural schools. The Agility volunteers worked with the school administration to set up a water purifier to ensure safe drinking water, installed solar panels on school grounds to help reduce electricity costs by nearly 60%, outfitted a science lab and a computer lab, and built washroom facilities to help encourage female students to continue their secondary education studies.

India, 2020
420 Beneficiaries
3 Volunteers

Agility Malaysia Supports 50 Underprivileged Students

Agility Malaysia worked with MyKasih Foundation, a local non-profit organization, to sponsor 50 economically challenged primary school students, ages 9 through 12, for one year; providing them with books, stationery and meals.

MyKasih Foundation is a local non-profit that provides food aid, health awareness, financial literacy programs, education, and skills training programs to underprivileged children in Malaysian communities.

Malaysia, 2020
50 Beneficiaries

Agility Malaysia Supports 50 Underprivileged Students

Agility Malaysia worked with MyKasih Foundation, a local non-profit organization, to sponsor 50 economically challenged primary school students, ages 9 through 12, for one year; providing them with books, stationery and meals.

MyKasih Foundation is a local non-profit that provides food aid, health awareness, financial literacy programs, education, and skills training programs to underprivileged children in Malaysian communities.

Malaysia, 2020
50 Beneficiaries

NAS Donates 7,000 Rapid Diagnostic Testing Kits to the Ministry of Health in Uganda

National Aviation Services (NAS), a leading global aviation services provider and one of Agility’s subsidiaries, donated 7,000 COVID-19 Rapid Diagnostic Testing (RDT) kits to the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Uganda.

These RDT kits will allow the MoH of Uganda’s COVID-19 National Task Force to carry out tests and get results within 15 minutes. The shipment was carried out with the support of the Group Chief Executive Officer of NAS, and the General Manager of NAS Uganda.

The test kits were transported from Kuwait. NAS helped sort on the ground movement of the shipment and customs clearance expertise to deliver the kits in three weeks.

Uganda, 2020
7,000 Beneficiaries

NAS Donates 7,000 Rapid Diagnostic Testing Kits to the Ministry of Health in Uganda

National Aviation Services (NAS), a leading global aviation services provider and one of Agility’s subsidiaries, donated 7,000 COVID-19 Rapid Diagnostic Testing (RDT) kits to the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Uganda.

These RDT kits will allow the MoH of Uganda’s COVID-19 National Task Force to carry out tests and get results within 15 minutes. The shipment was carried out with the support of the Group Chief Executive Officer of NAS, and the General Manager of NAS Uganda.

The test kits were transported from Kuwait. NAS helped sort on the ground movement of the shipment and customs clearance expertise to deliver the kits in three weeks.

Uganda, 2020
7,000 Beneficiaries

Agility Donated to Support Bahrain’s “Feena Khair” Campaign

Agility Bahrain supported the country’s “Feena Khair” (There is Good in Us) campaign to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

The campaign was initiated by H.H. Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa to contribute to the national efforts in combating the novel coronavirus. The funds raised will be used towards supporting the efforts of the general department of civil defense in disinfecting and sanitizing the country, purchasing handmade facial masks for the community, supporting affected families with daily meals to break their fast during Ramadan, basic household necessities, food stamps, and computers.

Bahrain, 2020

Agility Donated to Support Bahrain’s “Feena Khair” Campaign

Agility Bahrain supported the country’s “Feena Khair” (There is Good in Us) campaign to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

The campaign was initiated by H.H. Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa to contribute to the national efforts in combating the novel coronavirus. The funds raised will be used towards supporting the efforts of the general department of civil defense in disinfecting and sanitizing the country, purchasing handmade facial masks for the community, supporting affected families with daily meals to break their fast during Ramadan, basic household necessities, food stamps, and computers.

Bahrain, 2020

Agility Philippines Supports the Red Cross after Taal Volcano Eruption

Responding to the Taal Volcano eruption in January 2020, Agility worked closely with the Philippines Red Cross to provide relief goods to nearly 24,000 evacuees in the City of Batangas. Two 6-wheeler trucks were deployed for two weeks, distributing relief items to numerous evacuation centers across Batangas City.

Philippines, 2020
24,000 Beneficiaries

Agility Philippines Supports the Red Cross after Taal Volcano Eruption

Responding to the Taal Volcano eruption in January 2020, Agility worked closely with the Philippines Red Cross to provide relief goods to nearly 24,000 evacuees in the City of Batangas. Two 6-wheeler trucks were deployed for two weeks, distributing relief items to numerous evacuation centers across Batangas City.

Philippines, 2020
24,000 Beneficiaries

Brazil’s Zero Plastic Initiative

Recognizing that plastic waste is one of the factors harming the environment, Agility Brazil took action, eliminating the use of more than 12,000 plastic cups a month in all 13 branches. Employees were given ceramic Agility mugs; stepping up to support eliminating waste in our operations and honoring our Waste-Free Agility Campaign.

Brazil, 2020

Brazil’s Zero Plastic Initiative

Recognizing that plastic waste is one of the factors harming the environment, Agility Brazil took action, eliminating the use of more than 12,000 plastic cups a month in all 13 branches. Employees were given ceramic Agility mugs; stepping up to support eliminating waste in our operations and honoring our Waste-Free Agility Campaign.

Brazil, 2020

Agility Raised Funds to Support Australia’s Bushfire Disaster Relief

From September 2019 until February 2020, Australia battled the biggest bushfire crisis in its history. The bushfires had a devastating effect on Australia, burning through an estimated 13 million hectares of land, killed hundreds of millions of animals, and displaced thousands of people. Agility ran a global fundraising drive, raising money for the Australian Red Cross. Agility’s donation helped the Australian Red Cross support recovery through practical and emotional support services. Agility collected and matched donations from employees through the Australian Red Cross to support people in need of assistance.

Australia, 2020

Agility Raised Funds to Support Australia’s Bushfire Disaster Relief

From September 2019 until February 2020, Australia battled the biggest bushfire crisis in its history. The bushfires had a devastating effect on Australia, burning through an estimated 13 million hectares of land, killed hundreds of millions of animals, and displaced thousands of people. Agility ran a global fundraising drive, raising money for the Australian Red Cross. Agility’s donation helped the Australian Red Cross support recovery through practical and emotional support services. Agility collected and matched donations from employees through the Australian Red Cross to support people in need of assistance.

Australia, 2020

Moving PPE for seven hospitals in Mozambique

Agility moved two truckloads of PPE from Johannesburg, South Africa, to Maputo, Mozambique, for PLeDGE Health, a U.S.-based NGO. PLeDGE is working to set up the first emergency room in Mozambique. As more donations came in, Agility worked to ensure enough truck space. At the same time, word of South Africa’s impending shutdown led to a shortage in trucks and long waits at the border. When the cargo arrived in Maputo, Agility arranged for storage at the newly built Agility Logistics Park. Agility also managed onward movement to hospitals in Maputo and to the Maputo District Ministry of Health warehouse. The PPE is intended for use at all seven hospitals in Maputo.

Mozambique, 2020

Supporting the Kuwait Red Crescent Society’s initiatives

Agility has worked closely with the Kuwait Red Crescent on humanitarian relief initiatives. Starting mid-March, it moved 32 truckloads of personal belongings for individuals who had completed quarantine in designated areas of the country and were returning home. In addition, eight Agility refrigerated trucks were used to move food to the quarantine area of Khiran. Watch a short video of our trucks in action: https://youtu.be/5roE0HIOvxI

Kuwait, 2020

Donating warehouse space to fight COVID19

Agility provided free warehousing and local transportation services for two months to a GCC nation as part of its COVID-19 response. Over 5,500 pallet positions of PPE, pharmaceuticals and surgical equipment were stored at the company’s facility. In addition, Agility completed over 320 deliveries of these supplies to quarantine sites and hospitals. On average, Agility managed a throughput of 100 pallets in and out of our warehouse per day over 60 days.

Middle East, 2020

Agility Helps Design Food Security Plan, Provides Warehousing

When a GCC country detected its first COVID-19 cases, the government moved quickly to prioritize food security and bolster the supply chain. Agility’s logistics expertise was used to set up a strategic supply chain for the country, which imports the majority of its food, including key essentials such as rice, flour, oil, lentils, frozen meats, dairy products, tea and coffee.

Fifteen Agility logistics experts worked closely with the government to set up a control tower. Agility created digital tools, including an online tool for the government to use to receive bids and requests from external parties wanting to participate in the government plan, as well as a digital dashboard to monitor inventory levels. Agility also conducted a demand planning assessment, optimized the supply chain, and did a study on managing warehouse requirements to fulfill the food security needs. Agility also donated nearly 11,000 square meters of temperature-controlled warehousing to the government.

Middle East, 2020
15 Volunteers

Delivering Food to 1,000 Families in Kuwait

Agility worked with the Kuwait Red Crescent Society (KRCS) to deliver 1,000 cartons of essential food supplies and basic necessities to families residing in Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh, one of the areas in Kuwait with the largest number of virus cases. Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh and has been on lockdown since early April. The area’s most-vulnerable families received the supplies, which are intended to last about a month.

Kuwait, 2020
1,000 Beneficiaries

Life-saving logistics: Preparing vulnerable countries for the COVID-19 pandemic

Insights from Frank Clary, VP for Sustainability at Agility

In only a few months, the COVID-19 virus has been responsible for tens of thousands of deaths, with cases in 180 countries. The global pandemic has overwhelmed health systems in highly-developed markets, including Italy and Spain. Informed by the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on more developed countries with strong health systems, the humanitarian community is coming to terms with what could happen in vulnerable countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, already challenged with weaker institutions and networks.

Cascading, systemic risk in vulnerable countries

The combined weakness of core systems – health, telecom, education, food, transport, and others – means vulnerable countries face what are called cascading risks. Upon actualization of one risk, in this case, a health system overwhelmed by a global pandemic, more systemic risks are actualized, leading to the combined collapse of core systems, and potentially complete societal collapse.

In a country with many poor and vulnerable citizens, governments have limited levers that they can pull to help prevent or slow community spread. Many people live day-to-day and risk loss of livelihood if they self-isolate. Many live in precarious, crowded situations where self-isolation is not possible. It will not be possible to control community spread of the virus in communities where individuals must work every day to survive.

A shortage of personal protection equipment (PPE), already an issue in many countries in Europe and North America, precipitously increases the infection rate of first responders. Once infected, first responders cannot conduct tests, contact tracing, or treat patients. With first responders incapacitated, the public health system is considerably weakened, which could increase infection rates and contribute to significant death toll.

Humanitarian supply chains

In a humanitarian emergency, logistics is critically important for saving lives, and typically accounts for 75-80 percent of total spend. This crisis will be no different. The logistics challenge is particularly acute due to the global nature of this crisis, now that more than 50 countries currently restrict the export of medical supplies, including India, where a large proportion of the Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) used in medicines originate.

Agility is working together with other logistics companies that make up part of the Logistics Emergency Team which supports the Logistics Cluster, led by the United Nations World Food Programme. The companies are creating a dynamic database of information that will be essential to ensure that the 40+ essential items on the WHO’s COVID-19 Disease Commodity Package get to vulnerable countries. The exercise includes data collection and analysis of 4 key factors critical for fast humanitarian response.

Geographies of risk: which populations are most at risk of systemic failures?
Export restrictions for countries that are producing essential items
Import restrictions in vulnerable countries that apply to these essential items
Capacity constraints for air, ocean and road freight from production countries to vulnerable countries

The sooner test kits, PPE and other essential goods can get to people who need them, the more likely these countries can manage the crisis before it gets out of hand. Agility is also donating warehouse space for storage of humanitarian supplies in Ghana, Malaysia and Dubai.

At the same time, Agility is leveraging its global network, and particularly relationships with suppliers and local governments in emerging markets to get up-to-date information on how the situation is changing. Agility’s COVID-19 Global Shipping Updates are maintained by a network of logistics service providers all over the world, offering information in real time from their countries, as the situation evolves.

A Call to Action: we all can help vulnerable countries respond to COVID-19

For this global crisis, what you do to build resilience in your community, your company, or your supply chain affects the quantity and availability of life-saving products for vulnerable countries. We must keep life-saving cargo moving.

For logistics companies: share information that we can share with humanitarian organizations, particularly in terms of fast-changing export and import restrictions and available capacity

For shippers: collaborate closely with your freight forwarders, carriers, and others – especially for pharmaceutical industry. Sky-high air freight rates and capacity shortages are prompting players to go it alone, just when we need to work together to bring costs down and free up capacity. Collaboration between stakeholders can improve asset utilization, which could help bring costs down and overcome capacity constraints on some critical trade lanes.

For governments: governments need to ensure that exports of humanitarian supplies to vulnerable countries continue, especially to countries unable to limit community spread and to locations where cascading system breakdowns could lead to heavy loss of life and societal collapse. Catastrophe in vulnerable countries will prolong the global crisis for everyone. Particularly for those countries that are ramping up production of PPE and life-saving equipment, it is important to work with humanitarian organizations to consider how to ensure that humanitarian cargo is able to flow freely to vulnerable populations.

For individuals: self-isolate, and reserve PPE and medicines for first-responders who really need them to do things such as contact tracing, testing and treating patients. The faster communities recover, the more expertise, PPE and other life-saving commodities will be available in the global supply chain to reach more vulnerable populations.

The global trade system has a responsibility now to keep cargo moving in order to protect vulnerable populations. #keepcargomoving

Global, 2020

Delivering Food to 1,000 Families in Kuwait

Agility worked with the Kuwait Red Crescent Society (KRCS) to deliver 1,000 cartons of essential food supplies and basic necessities to families residing in Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh, one of the areas in Kuwait with the largest number of virus cases. Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh and has been on lockdown since early April. The area’s most-vulnerable families received the supplies, which are intended to last about a month.

Kuwait, 2020
1,000 Beneficiaries

Agility Helps Design Food Security Plan, Provides Warehousing

When a GCC country detected its first COVID-19 cases, the government moved quickly to prioritize food security and bolster the supply chain. Agility’s logistics expertise was used to set up a strategic supply chain for the country, which imports the majority of its food, including key essentials such as rice, flour, oil, lentils, frozen meats, dairy products, tea and coffee.

Fifteen Agility logistics experts worked closely with the government to set up a control tower. Agility created digital tools, including an online tool for the government to use to receive bids and requests from external parties wanting to participate in the government plan, as well as a digital dashboard to monitor inventory levels. Agility also conducted a demand planning assessment, optimized the supply chain, and did a study on managing warehouse requirements to fulfill the food security needs. Agility also donated nearly 11,000 square meters of temperature-controlled warehousing to the government.

Middle East, 2020
15 Volunteers

Donating warehouse space to fight COVID19

Agility provided free warehousing and local transportation services for two months to a GCC nation as part of its COVID-19 response. Over 5,500 pallet positions of PPE, pharmaceuticals and surgical equipment were stored at the company’s facility. In addition, Agility completed over 320 deliveries of these supplies to quarantine sites and hospitals. On average, Agility managed a throughput of 100 pallets in and out of our warehouse per day over 60 days.

Middle East, 2020

Supporting the Kuwait Red Crescent Society’s initiatives

Agility has worked closely with the Kuwait Red Crescent on humanitarian relief initiatives. Starting mid-March, it moved 32 truckloads of personal belongings for individuals who had completed quarantine in designated areas of the country and were returning home. In addition, eight Agility refrigerated trucks were used to move food to the quarantine area of Khiran.

Kuwait, 2020

Moving PPE for seven hospitals in Mozambique

Agility moved two truckloads of PPE from Johannesburg, South Africa, to Maputo, Mozambique, for PLeDGE Health, a U.S.-based NGO. PLeDGE is working to set up the first emergency room in Mozambique. As more donations came in, Agility worked to ensure enough truck space. At the same time, word of South Africa’s impending shutdown led to a shortage in trucks and long waits at the border. When the cargo arrived in Maputo, Agility arranged for storage at the newly built Agility Logistics Park. Agility also managed onward movement to hospitals in Maputo and to the Maputo District Ministry of Health warehouse. The PPE is intended for use at all seven hospitals in Maputo.

Mozambique, 2020

Life-saving logistics: Preparing vulnerable countries for the COVID-19 pandemic

Insights from Frank Clary, VP for Sustainability at Agility

In only a few months, the COVID-19 virus has been responsible for tens of thousands of deaths, with cases in 180 countries. The global pandemic has overwhelmed health systems in highly-developed markets, including Italy and Spain. Informed by the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on more developed countries with strong health systems, the humanitarian community is coming to terms with what could happen in vulnerable countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, already challenged with weaker institutions and networks.

Cascading, systemic risk in vulnerable countries

The combined weakness of core systems – health, telecom, education, food, transport, and others – means vulnerable countries face what are called cascading risks. Upon actualization of one risk, in this case, a health system overwhelmed by a global pandemic, more systemic risks are actualized, leading to the combined collapse of core systems, and potentially complete societal collapse.

In a country with many poor and vulnerable citizens, governments have limited levers that they can pull to help prevent or slow community spread. Many people live day-to-day and risk loss of livelihood if they self-isolate. Many live in precarious, crowded situations where self-isolation is not possible. It will not be possible to control community spread of the virus in communities where individuals must work every day to survive.

A shortage of personal protection equipment (PPE), already an issue in many countries in Europe and North America, precipitously increases the infection rate of first responders. Once infected, first responders cannot conduct tests, contact tracing, or treat patients. With first responders incapacitated, the public health system is considerably weakened, which could increase infection rates and contribute to significant death toll.

Humanitarian supply chains

In a humanitarian emergency, logistics is critically important for saving lives, and typically accounts for 75-80 percent of total spend. This crisis will be no different. The logistics challenge is particularly acute due to the global nature of this crisis, now that more than 50 countries currently restrict the export of medical supplies, including India, where a large proportion of the Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) used in medicines originate.

Agility is working together with other logistics companies that make up part of the Logistics Emergency Team which supports the Logistics Cluster, led by the United Nations World Food Programme. The companies are creating a dynamic database of information that will be essential to ensure that the 40+ essential items on the WHO’s COVID-19 Disease Commodity Package get to vulnerable countries. The exercise includes data collection and analysis of 4 key factors critical for fast humanitarian response.

Geographies of risk: which populations are most at risk of systemic failures?
Export restrictions for countries that are producing essential items
Import restrictions in vulnerable countries that apply to these essential items
Capacity constraints for air, ocean and road freight from production countries to vulnerable countries