1. Why does OCHA stockpile relief goods?
As early as 1983, discussions started between UNDRO (the Office of the United Nations Disaster Relief Coordinator, now OCHA), and the Italian Government to put in place an emergency mechanism providing quick and efficient support to victims of disaster. The result was the creation of the OCHA Pisa Warehouse. In 2000, the OCHA stocks were moved to the United Nations Humanitarian Response Depot (UNHRD) in Brindisi. Over the years, the international reaction and response to this initiative has been widespread and encouraging, with over 80 partners (including NGOs and nearly 20 Governments) co-operating in operations or in providing support to the OCHA stockpiles. As of end 2006, 991 shipments, amounting to over 16,740,000 kg of relief goods, were sent to some 103 countries in need.
The main benefit of the OCHA stockpiling project is the possibility, at the time of a disaster, to send life-saving goods immediately, without needing to conduct time-consuming market research and procurement. All goods are quality-controlled and appropriately packed, ready for immediate dispatch to wherever they are needed. While the OCHA stocks are not designed to provide relief in all situations, they can fill gaps in emergency assistance. OCHA also aims at facilitating or enhancing the provision of emergency relief by other actors of the international humanitarian community.
2. How to obtain goods from OCHA?
When international assistance is sought in a disaster or an emergency situation, the Humanitarian Coordinator, the local UN Resident Coordinator/UNDP Resident Representative, the OCHA Regional/Field Office or the relevant clusters become the channels for, inter alia, a request to OCHA for goods to be dispatched immediately. The decision to launch an emergency transport operation is taken by the Chief of the Emergency Services Branch (ESB), in close cooperation with the relevant Regional Section of the Coordination and Response Division (CRD). Most emergency consignments are dispatched as the result of an appeal for international assistance. In this case, one or more shipments are organized in close consultation with the OCHA local representative, the country's United Nations Disaster Management Team and/or other local partners, as appropriate. The cargo composition is usually based on local needs assessments, national/international response, envisaged transport means and level of OCHA relief goods in stock.
Once the parameters of the operations have been decided, OCHA/LSU consults donors to obtain their authorization to release the goods from the stocks, and to agree on the payment of the freight and handling costs to the final destination. Transportation is arranged by the World Food Programme (WFP) on behalf of OCHA.
Upon arrival in the affected country, relief consignments are usually handed over, by the UNDP or local OCHA representative, on behalf of the United Nations and of the donor(s), to the consignee (habitually the national authorities and NGOs in charge of the relief activities and distribution to the local population).
The donors to the OCHA relief stocks may also forward a request for an operation directly to the Chief of ESB. In this case, dispatches are typically consigned to the donor’s local embassy or to any other partner designated by the donor.
Consignments are provided totally free-of-charge to the recipient countries. They are regularly recorded in OCHA's Situation Reports (www.reliefweb.int), in OCHA’s Financial Tracking System (http://ocha.unog.ch/fts2/) and in other United Nations documents.
For more information, please contact UN OCHA ESB/Logistics Support Unit
Fax: + 41 22 917 00 23 - Email: lsu@un.org