Supply chains can’t exist in isolation – especially when the world is short on every kind of supply.

Supply chains were disrupted before the war in Ukraine “Even before COVID-19 reduced incomes and disrupted supply chains, chronic and acute hunger were on the rise due to various factors, including conflict, socio-economic conditions, natural hazards, climate change and pests.” May 24, World Bank

What will happen now that there are less than 10 weeks of global wheat supply?

“Global wheat inventories currently stand at about 10 weeks of global consumption, a food supply expert said during a special meeting of the United Nations Security Council on May 19.” May 23, World-Grain.com

A perfect storm

Common causes of humanitarian disasters are: political unrest and conflict, environmental causes, healthcare emergencies, population displacement, hunger and malnutrition and lack of basic services. More than ever before this constellation of crises has created challenges that can only be solved by doing things better and differently from before.

A lot of attention has been given to the war in Ukraine. Not because it is the only war going on, but because the sheer scale and speed of internally displaced and people on the move has dwarfed anything seen in our lifetimes. And although most of the largest NGOs in the world are headquartered in Europe most of their work is done in other continents. Many were caught with their supply chain pants down.

And what will happen now that the war in Ukraine has created a perfect storm in food insecurity? The private sector is rushing to find solutions to this problem, but we know that the most vulnerable will suffer the most, and they had no margin of error. These complex crises are compounding, and the humanitarian sector needs to up its game.

Responding to crisis requires a coordinated response – across agencies, organizations, governments, borders and sectors. Moving critical and lifesaving supplies requires tools and platforms that until today did not exist. Organizations like the World Food Program do a great job with their supply chain and logistics but their platform is not open to all of the countless other oganizations that are required for these responses.

trellyz designed its platform to provide the multi-entity, location-based coordination to all actors in the public service and humanitarian space. Its RefAid app is being used by 8,000 organizations in 41 countries to disseminate information about critical services. But the only way to get the critical services need to people who need it most is to increase visibility of needed supplies and potential donations of goods. trellyz launched its Logistics Hub with this goal in mind.

Call to action: If you have or know of donations in kinds, supplies that are available anywhere in the world to aid organizations and those helping provide resources to the humanitarian supply chain, get an account now. If your organization, or one you know needs supplies, get an account to list these requests now. If you offer logistics and freight forwarding, please register to offer these to those with offers or requests. The trellyz Logistics Hub has a super easy user experience and its possible to use the platform exclusively for your own organization or trusted partners in a small network

trellyz.org is supporting the use of the platform for the Ukraine crisis, but there are so many more uses. And we are here to help, with the active support of our Logistics Alliance members: HLA, WCA (WorldCargo Alliance), Microsoft, Distribute Aid and DEMAC.