Aid and Relief Logistics

Making public healthcare funds go further, faster

Strong, smart supply chains get products to their destination on time, and make funding work harder and more sustainably. UN, non-governmental and public health organizations need logistics partners with global capability and expertise in public healthcare, aid, and disaster relief, so they can respond quickly and effectively to humanitarian emergencies and improve health outcomes for disadvantaged people all over the world.

DHL has a presence in 220 countries and territories, and the world’s largest transportation network. We have more than two decades of experience in delivering medical supplies and other aid efficiently to wherever they’re needed.

At DHL, we care about making the world a better place. Working with our customers, we are focusing on these healthcare priorities:

Pandemic Preparedness

Access to Medicines

Humanitarian Disaster Response

Improving Global Health Outcomes

Private and Public Partnerships

Supply Chain Resilience

Aid and Relief Capabilities

Logistics for aid and relief is about more than just freight forwarding. Our specialist teams around the world mobilize a fast, efficient, and sustainable end-to-end response wherever it’s needed.

Control Towers

DHL keeps essential products moving through international supply chains by air, ocean, and overland. We plan and monitor shipments to avoid potential bottlenecks and supply chain disruption, and manage compliance and reporting. All this work is done by dedicated, experienced specialists working out of our Control Towers in Dubai, Copenhagen, Washington DC, and Panama.

Humanitarian Response

Working with international aid organizations, DHL provides compliant and scalable temperature-controlled storage and transportation. When a natural disaster strikes, we volunteer logistics expertise, our global network, and the commitment of individual employees. At the core of DHL Group’s GoHelp program is the strategic disaster management partnership: this has made the Group an important player in the world’s humanitarian community.

International Development

Inefficient supply chains hamper critical international development work. DHL eliminates those inefficiencies through partnerships and innovative business models so development funds can do more, and products aren’t wasted. The specialists in our four control towers coordinate our activities and focus on delivering humanitarian and development aid worldwide – including to some of the most remote locations, and in challenging conditions.

Healthcare Procurement and Delivery

Our procurement capabilities improve supply chain resilience. We have CIPS-qualified professionals with expertise in ethical, sustainable sourcing across many sectors, and clinical specialists who shape product specifications and sourcing plans, giving valuable clinical input into procurement. We handle procurement end to end, from strategic sourcing and spend management to contract management, inventory control, warehousing, and transport.

Vaccine Distribution

The Covid-19 pandemic showed the importance of investing in agile supply chains and delivery models to support pandemic preparedness. Our expertise in vaccine distribution (working, for example, on neglected tropical diseases), and fast adaptations we made in the crisis meant we could lead on distributing time-sensitive, super-cold vaccines direct to dosage site, even in remote regions. We delivered 2.5bn Covid doses to 180 countries.

Leaders in Sustainability

DHL is taking the lead in developing sustainable global supply chains. We’re investing US$7bn by 2030 in clean operations, focusing on areas such as green line-haul and last mile, sustainable aviation fuels, electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles, carbon-neutral buildings, and digital technologies. We are also working with suppliers and partners to support them on their own sustainability journeys.