Brisbane, Australia – Logistics and warehouse officers from six Pacific National Disaster Management Offices (NDMOs) earlier this month completed a week of hands-on training at the Australian Government’s Humanitarian Warehouse in Brisbane, as part of the first Humanitarian Warehouse Exchange under the Pacific Humanitarian Warehousing Program (PHWP).
The World Food Programme (WFP), together with the Pacific Community (SPC), delivered the Exchange, which brought together participants from Cook Islands, Kiribati, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga and Vanuatu. Running from 15 – 19 June, the training covered the full warehouse cycle: procuring, receiving, storing and managing relief supplies, quality assurance, kitting and dispatch, warehouse management systems, and a live simulation exercise. Participants also completed an accredited First Aid certification before returning home. During disasters, in doing so, provide SPC, WFP, and Australia’s humanitarian warehouse teams with
Pacific ownership is central to the exchange programme, which is built on peer-to-peer learning. NDMO delegates share their own warehousing practices and realities, and in doing so, provide SPC, WFP and Australia’s humanitarian warehouse teams direct insight into the challenges and priorities of Pacific-managed warehouses. This shared learning helps partners tailor their support and interventions to what Pacific countries need on the ground in times of disaster.
On returning home, participants will lead debrief sessions within their respective NDMOs, ensuring the benefits reach well beyond the first cohort.
Mr George Beck, PHWP Programme Manager, said: “This Exchange is localisation in action. Pacific people are at the centre of their own resilience, and the skills our NDMO logistics officers are building this week are the skills that will keep relief supplies moving when disaster hits. And by listening to our Pacific partners, we can make sure the support we provide is grounded in their realities.”
Ms Emma Conlan, Acting Country Director, WFP Pacific, said: “By connecting Pacific practitioners to global systems, expertise and partnerships, this Exchange helps translate world-class capability into locally-led sustainable systems. WFP is proud to work with SPC and Australia’s Humanitarian Logistics Capability to ensure assistance reaches communities faster, more efficiently and when it matters most.”
Mr Steve Scott, Humanitarian Coordinator, Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said: “Humanitarian logistics is not just about supplies and systems. It’s about skilled people making practical decisions under pressure. By bringing Pacific counterparts together at our warehouse, we are turning logistics knowledge into stronger preparedness, better coordination and faster response. We are also learning from our Pacific partners, which keeps Australia’s humanitarian capability relevant and responsive to the needs of affected communities.”
Australia’s humanitarian warehouse is a 10,000m² facility that can support 55,000 people across three simultaneous crises and has responded to recent Pacific disasters, including Tropical Cyclone Maila earlier this year.
The PHWP’s vision is that by 2031, 14 Pacific Island countries and Timor-Leste will manage their own humanitarian warehouses and increasingly lead their own disaster responses, with greater independence and sustainability than ever before. The Australian Government Humanitarian Warehouse will continue to be available where Pacific Governments request Australian support.
