Humanitarian Operations

From September 2019 until February 2020, Australia battled the biggest bushfire crisis in its history. The bushfires had a devastating effect on Australia, burning through an estimated 13 million hectares of land, killed hundreds of millions of animals, and displaced thousands of people. Agility ran a global fundraising drive, raising money for the Australian Red Cross. Agility’s donation helped the Australian Red Cross support recovery through practical and emotional support services. Agility collected and matched donations from employees through the Australian Red Cross to support people in need of assistance.

When a GCC country detected its first COVID-19 cases, the government moved quickly to prioritize food security and bolster the supply chain. Agility’s logistics expertise was used to set up a strategic supply chain for the country, which imports the majority of its food, including key essentials such as rice, flour, oil, lentils, frozen meats, dairy products, tea and coffee. Fifteen Agility logistics experts worked closely with the government to set up a control tower. Agility created digital tools, including an online tool for the government to use to receive bids and requests from external parties wanting to participate in the government plan, as well as a digital dashboard to monitor inventory levels. Agility also conducted a demand planning assessment, optimized the supply chain, and did a study on managing warehouse requirements to fulfill the food security needs. Agility also donated nearly 11,000 square meters of temperature-controlled warehousing to the government.

Agility provided free warehousing and local transportation services for two months to a GCC nation as part of its COVID-19 response. Over 5,500 pallet positions of PPE, pharmaceuticals and surgical equipment were stored at the company’s facility. In addition, Agility completed over 320 deliveries of these supplies to quarantine sites and hospitals. On average, Agility managed a throughput of 100 pallets in and out of our warehouse per day over 60 days.

Agility has worked closely with the Kuwait Red Crescent on humanitarian relief initiatives. Starting mid-March, it moved 32 truckloads of personal belongings for individuals who had completed quarantine in designated areas of the country and were returning home. In addition, eight Agility refrigerated trucks were used to move food to the quarantine area of Khiran.

Agility moved two truckloads of PPE from Johannesburg, South Africa, to Maputo, Mozambique, for PLeDGE Health, a U.S.-based NGO. PLeDGE is working to set up the first emergency room in Mozambique. As more donations came in, Agility worked to ensure enough truck space. At the same time, word of South Africa’s impending shutdown led to a shortage in trucks and long waits at the border. When the cargo arrived in Maputo, Agility arranged for storage at the newly built Agility Logistics Park. Agility also managed onward movement to hospitals in Maputo and to the Maputo District Ministry of Health warehouse. The PPE is intended for use at all seven hospitals in Maputo.

In only a few months, the COVID-19 virus has been responsible for tens of thousands of deaths, with cases in 180 countries. The global pandemic has overwhelmed health systems in highly-developed markets, including Italy and Spain. Informed by the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on more developed countries with strong health systems, the humanitarian community is coming to terms with what could happen in vulnerable countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, already challenged with weaker institutions and networks.

National Aviation Services (NAS), a leading global aviation services provider and one of Agility’s subsidiaries, donated 7,000 COVID-19 Rapid Diagnostic Testing (RDT) kits to the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Uganda. These RDT kits will allow the MoH of Uganda’s COVID-19 National Task Force to carry out tests and get results within 15 minutes. The shipment was carried out with the support of the Group Chief Executive Officer of NAS, and the General Manager of NAS Uganda.

Agility Bahrain supported the country’s “Feena Khair” (There is Good in Us) campaign to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. The campaign was initiated by H.H. Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa to contribute to the national efforts in combating the novel coronavirus. The funds raised will be used towards supporting the efforts of the general department of civil defense in disinfecting and sanitizing the country, purchasing handmade facial masks for the community, supporting affected families with daily meals to break their fast during Ramadan, basic household necessities, food stamps, and computers.