NEWS A stronger partnership for a bigger impact

A new global partnership between DHL Group and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) aims to enhance humanitarian logistics and ensure more effective support for people in need.

DHL Group and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) have signed a formal agreement, creating a legal framework to coordinate humanitarian projects worldwide. In a rapidly evolving humanitarian environment, the partnership will combine the strengths of our GoHelp program and IOM’s extensive field operations to adapt to the new landscape. It is driven by three main objectives:

1. Enhancing localized response: As response efforts become more local, collaborating with IOM and its extensive field operations allows us to coordinate responses more effectively.
2. Capacity building: Our GoHelp experts will equip IOM’s local teams with essential skills to navigate logistics challenges and optimize operations on the ground.
3. Maximizing direct impact: Working with IOM allows us to engage directly with affected communities, ensuring aid reasons people in need more efficiently.

DHL and IOM collaborate across several initiatives in Kenya, Lebanon, and Türkiye, with additional capacity-building programs planned in Greece, Panama, and South Sudan. By formalizing our collaboration, we can now coordinate efforts with greater ease.

The partnership builds on the success of a recent joint response effort in Kenya. When flooding displaced thousands and reduced access to clean water around the Tana River in Kenya in 2024, seamless coordination between DHL GoHelp and IOM ensured 1,000 donated water filters from the United States reached flood-affected communities. GoHelp Disaster Response Teams (DRTs) in Nairobi assembled the filters and buckets, preparing them for immediate use. The filters provided safe drinking water to thousands, underscoring the vital role of logistics in disaster response.

The partnership combines IOM’s humanitarian expertise with DHL’s disaster response logistics capabilities. IOM is the leading United Nations organization dedicated to migration, providing a lifeline to people in need. DHL is the world’s leading logistics company, with a global GoHelp program dedicated to disaster response and preparedness. By working with IOM, we can leverage our GoHelp logistics expertise to enhance disaster relief, integration programs, and community resilience.

With humanitarian needs changing rapidly, public-private partnerships like this demonstrate how international organizations and businesses can work together to adapt to those changes, scale efforts, and make a life-saving impact. Our GoHelp program has long leveraged our global logistics network and the dedication of our volunteers to provide pro bono logistics expertise for disaster response and preparedness. We help prepare our partners by enhancing their skills and building their capacity.

This agreement with IOM marks a major milestone in our ongoing collaboration with the UN, allowing us to expand our reach and effectiveness in crisis response and help communities strengthen resilience. It also reminds us that logistics is not just about moving goods – it’s about delivering hope.