The UPS Foundation has launched the UPS Relief Link programme to help improve the lives ofdisplaced refugees around the world through optimised distribution and tracking of critical
supplies in crisis-affected areas.UPS Relief Link combines the use of a hand-held scanning tool and durable identificationcards to deliver superior efficiency by eliminating paper records in the refugee camps. Theprogramme was developed in collaboration with UNHCR, which delivers food and other relief items tomillions of refugees worldwide
Using this solution, UNHCR and UPS have been able to speed distribution time, provideverifiable receipt of vital provisions ensuring equitable distribution, and minimise theft throughtheir pilot program in Ethiopia (Dollo Ado) and Mauritania (Mbera).
The UPS Relief Link program was developed leveraging UPS’s proprietary Trackpad technology,which was first implemented to assist The Salvation Army with relief efforts following thedevastating earthquakes in Haiti in 2010. The technology provides full visibility into the supplychain journey of urgently-needed items through the critical “last mile” of delivery to refugees,where human tracking and data input errors often lead to inconsistent delivery and distribution.
Compatible with handheld barcode readers as well as Android tablets, UPS Relief Link hasdriven improved operational efficiency for UNHCR. At the Mbera camp alone, UNHCR was able tostreamline technology needs from 25 laptops to 5 tracking devices while eliminating concerns aroundshortened battery life. Additionally, UPS Relief Link can now produce previously unavailableautomated inventory and data reports within seconds.
“We are honoured to partner with UNHCR and apply our expertise in logistics and supplychain management to help solve the global challenge of ensuring accurate and equitable distributionof nutrition and other life-saving supplies to refugees,” said Eduardo Martinez, president of TheUPS Foundation. “Humanitarian relief and resilience is a core focus of The UPS Foundation, and welook forward to working with UNHCR to extend the UPS Relief Link program to additional camps in thenear future.”
Meanwhile, UPS has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Dubai’s InternationalHumanitarian City (IHC). The agreement allows the IHC access to UPS’s global capabilities includingdeveloping solutions to logistics challenges UN agencies and NGOs face distributing aid in theregion.
