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As the world’s only non-profit, independent humanitarian free-zone authority, Dubai Humanitarian is home to a diverse community of approximately 80 members, including UN agencies, non-profits, NGOs, and commercial entities. For over two decades, Dubai Humanitarian has been instrumental in delivering critical aid to populations affected by war, conflict, displacement, natural disasters, and pandemics, significantly contributing to global efforts to save lives. Its Task Force has played a pivotal role in addressing humanitarian crises in countries such as Ukraine, Palestine, Yemen, Libya, Syria, Afghanistan, and Haiti, as well as responding to the Turkey-Syria earthquake and the COVID-19 pandemic, and most recently, Lebanon.
One of the key challenges in delivering aid has been the time-consuming process of manual coordination between countries in need and humanitarian organizations, at local and international levels. Traditionally, it took up to seven to ten days to gather and verify information about available stock after a crisis, severely delaying response efforts.
To overcome this, Dubai Humanitarian spearheaded the creation of the Humanitarian Logistics Databank - Databank—a first-of-its-kind digital platform designed to revolutionize emergency response. The Databank connects real-time data on life-saving aid available across global humanitarian hubs in Dubai, Italy, and Panama (with more hubs joining as of next year). This platform dramatically reduces planning and response times by enabling affected communities to quickly locate and access the necessary resources.
The development of the Databank stemmed from the broader challenge of sharing information during crises due to inconsistent policies, customs procedures, and warehouse management systems across borders. Early in the process, Dubai Humanitarian recognized that digital maturity varied widely among customs agencies and humanitarian organizations, leading to manual, inefficient operations. Independent logistics agencies often handled customs clearance with inconsistent application of global customs codes and stock classifications, adding further delays.
To address these challenges, Dubai Humanitarian standardized over 2400 different humanitarian aid items into a unified system known as the "Item Master." Each item is uniquely identified and described to ensure consistency, eliminate duplicates, and correct errors. By assigning unique item keys, the platform allows customs agencies and organizations to recognize and process items more easily, streamlining logistics and reducing delays in delivering aid.
A defining feature of the Databank is its seamless integration with customs systems, like E-mirsal, facilitating faster and more accurate customs declarations using standardized codes approved by the World Customs Organization. This innovation enables the faster movement of aid to those in need—setting a new precedent in humanitarian logistics.
The impact of the Databank has been profound. Its novel data integration and management capabilities have not only set a new precedent in the humanitarian sector but have also greatly improved cross-border cooperation, supporting several key missions, including responses to floods in Pakistan in 2022, earthquake that hit Syria and Turkiye, ongoing humanitarian emergency in Gaza, Sudan, Lebanon, among others.
Going a step further, Dubai Humanitarian has partnered with nybl, a technology company specializing in AI solutions, has enabled the Databank to track the carbon footprint of aid delivery, fostering a more sustainable humanitarian supply chain.
Today, Dubai Humanitarian is actively working to connect all 11 global hubs to the system, with eight additional hubs on track for integration. Once fully connected, this network will create a global safety net, transforming the way humanitarian aid is delivered. Real-time data sharing across hubs will drastically reduce response times during crises, allowing aid to be mobilized more efficiently. The enhanced coordination and optimized distribution will save more lives and bolster the resilience of affected communities worldwide.
Nomination Title: The Humanitarian Logistics Databank
