Inside Track: The Critical Role of Supply Chain Expertise in Humanitarian Aid

It has long been a core commitment of Canaan Group to be ready with supply chain solutions in times of crisis. In 1995, following the Great Hanshin earthquake near Kobe, Japan, Canaan facilitated the delivery of lumber by air after the ports were destroyed. After the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami we again joined the relief efforts by helping with the delivery of much needed supplies. 

Climate change is sadly increasing the frequency and severity of natural disasters. And it will be people who are living in areas that already experience infrastructure challenges that will be most affected. Equally challenging is getting medical equipment and food supplies to regions ravaged by war and violence, as we are currently witnessing in Palestine. 

When disaster strikes, humanitarian aid agencies and non-profit organizations are experts at quickly identifying what supplies are needed and raising support, but they rely on logistics experts to determine how to efficiently deliver goods, particularly when conventional routes are not available. 

Established logistics partnerships are critical, as it will often not be at the available major port of entry that the supplies are most needed. Knowing who on the receiving end can be relied on to complete the delivery — whether via boat or air to a smaller island, or along roads in which blockages or safety may be a concern — comes from experience working across the globe and with a diversity of businesses and organizations. 

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, we have worked with non-profit organizations in the delivery of crucial supplies — arriving first to a safe port in a neighbouring country and then taken into Ukraine with the help of transportation partners who understand the most current situation on the ground. Leaning again on our global partnerships, we also helped a non-profit organization ship a rig for drilling water wells to an area of West Africa where clean drinking water is scarce. 

Cost efficiency is a key issue in humanitarian work. Though there is often a brief outpouring of donations for disasters that make headlines, a lot of much needed humanitarian work happens without adequate public attention or financial support. Even if equipment can be procured at a discount or even by donation, there remains the cost of shipping and this type of project is unlikely to get much “free media.” 

A good example of this is retired emergency vehicles, which Canaan helps to ship out of Canada. Fire ladder trucks and pumper trucks that are decommissioned in Canada can still be newer than the “newest” vehicle that the receiving fire brigades have in their garage. We have also shipped a lot of medical equipment, particularly to more remote locations where healthcare facilities can’t easily bring in basic necessities. Hospital beds, scanning and diagnostic machines, and general hospital ward supplies are commonly lacking in hospitals in developing countries. If someone has usable equipment for donation, we can work with NPOs to get it where it needs to go. 

Canaan’s success in helping businesses with their shipping needs has positioned us to also extend that expertise to non-profit organizations, helping them keep their important work viable. If logistics is the unsolved piece in your humanitarian project, we would love to partner with you in finding an efficient solution to getting shipments delivered safely. Reach out to us today! sales@canaangroup.ca