by Manal Barakat, SeaNewsEditor

SeaNews launches Unboxed, a series of interviews featuring exclusive conversations with experts, bringing you closer to the people behind the world of logistics.

Interview highlights

• A recent project in Syria involved sending 500 TEUs from multiple origins to various destinations within the country. Similar efforts are ongoing in West Africa.
• Challenges include white-listing containers, sanctions, trade compliance rules, and the complexities of different humanitarian destinations.
• The team relies on trade control compliance, collaboration with partners, and the global Kuehne+Nagel network to effectively deliver humanitarian aid.
• Seasonal and regional variations affect the types of commodities shipped, such as mosquito nets for malaria and temperature-controlled vaccines.

Full interview

Q: Emergency and Relief is one of Kuehne+Nagel’s key and vital business units. To better understand the efforts behind your work, can you tell us about a recent case that you worked on and shipped by sea?

Cormac O’Sullivan: A recent example is from Syria. The situation in Syria has changed quite significantly in the last six months in lots of different ways, and we see more access to the country. The US and Europe have recently taken measures to lift the sanctions on Syria to allow for redevelopment. In response to that, we saw a large project of approximately 500 TEUs sent to Syria. We moved them from multiple origins, particularly in China, India, Pakistan, and Singapore, to a number of destinations within Syria, such as Damascus, Homs, and Tartus. They were moved by ocean freight into Latakia, and it's an ongoing project over several months. We also move many humanitarian commodities by sea to multiple destinations across West Africa. This is one of our main trade lanes, going from China and India to West Africa.

Q: What challenges does the team face in these examples?

Cormac O’Sullivan: The complexity of challenges surrounding this particular case in Syria included white-listing containers, which were previously required by Syrian authorities. [editor’s note: white-listing refers to the process of approving cargo for entry into restricted or sanctioned regions by meeting specific regulatory requirements.] Sanctions and trade compliance rules, as well as the peculiarities and complexities of different humanitarian destinations, are common issues for countries affected by geopolitical conflicts.

For West Africa, there's the port-to-port part and then the customs clearance, transportation, and distribution part, which is where it gets really complicated. Moving commodities from standard origin points to unusual destinations requires a lot of knowledge of the specific markets and how to get to specific destinations. A large component is often the need to move things further from the destination port. It's about getting through customs, dealing with smaller trains, understanding their peculiarities and idiosyncrasies, and then moving by road to further destinations.

Understanding the context is also important. West Africa and the Sahel region are experiencing significant changes right now. Humanitarian commodities don't usually go to countries operating in stable contexts. These are places with complicated political setups, deteriorating security, or horrific disaster events. These are people who are majorly impacted by a crisis, making them complicated places to deliver to.

Q: The example about Syria is very relevant given the changing geopolitics in the area. How does the team guarantee or work around the level of uncertainty in that region, given the Houthi Red Sea attacks and the challenges in reaching Syria?

Cormac O’Sullivan: We work with the main carriers, and we are fully trade control compliant. Everything goes through the normal Kuehne+Nagel trade control process, which our NGO and UN partners appreciate. They take stock in the fact that we have our compliance process and trade controls in place. This gives them assurance because they need to play by the rules and often need our support and guidance to understand the rules. We rely on the knowledge of our team and their understanding of global supply chains, carriers, and trade controls. There is also communication back and forth with our partners.

We rely extensively on the global Kuehne+Nagel network and our partner agents. This allows us to engage with and respond to humanitarian needs. UN and NGO customers don't have a lot of money to spare, so money is tight. This is not a big profit area, but we take pride in using the global, well-developed, adaptable, and agile Kuehne+Nagel network to help these organisations support the communities they serve. It's a combination of in-house emergency and response knowledge and expertise, combined with the strength and power of the global Kuehne+Nagel network.

Q: Given that shipping by sea is for less urgent humanitarian issues, what makes a shipment classify as an emergency and relief? Is it the organisations you work with?

Cormac O’Sullivan: Yes, we have a database of established UN agencies, NGOs, and donor governments we work with. We manage and monitor that because there are thousands of NGOs, but only a couple of hundred of any size and scope that consistently use global logistics. We are careful about who we work with and make sure we understand their work. We urge our colleagues throughout the Kuehne+Nagel network to reach out to us if they come across any organisations wanting to engage in this type of work.

Q: Do ocean carriers give you specific priority for urgent shipments?

Cormac O’Sullivan: When it comes to carriers, we make it clear that it's for emergency response. Often, these carriers have a direct relationship with the UN and understand the importance of these shipments.

Q: Can you give us examples of goods shipped to crisis areas in Syria and West Africa?

Cormac O’Sullivan: Depending on the regional challenges, commodities include mosquito nets, health kits, hygiene kits, and shelter kits. There are also some nutrition commodities like RUTF (Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food), which are heavily fortified with minerals and vitamins for children with severe acute malnutrition. Vaccines and medicines are a great example of what we ship that needs to be temperature-controlled.

Q: Do you see a difference in the types of commodities shipped seasonally or regionally?

Cormac O’Sullivan: Yes. For example, mosquito nets are used to combat malaria, which sees an upsurge after rainy seasons. The humanitarian sector targets malaria-endemic zones and tries to interrupt the malaria transmission cycle. The global health community also targets diseases like tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS. In terms of regions, these are global diseases with pockets of high prevalence. Malaria is mosquito-borne and tends to be found in more equatorial climates.

Q: What mindset does the team adopt when shipping humanitarian goods? Is there a specific ethos or priority that the team keeps in mind?

Cormac O’Sullivan: Yes. Since the customers deal with a lot of uncertainty and complexity, they rely on our understanding of the market. In this sector, we also need flexibility and agility. We rely on the global Kuehne+Nagel network and work with the network to use it effectively for our customers. Humanitarian logistics involves navigating more complexity and uncertainty in terms of what's going where and how to get it there.

Q: I see the balance between bringing what is needed to the people and conducting this as a business. Highlighting the balance between uncertainty and flexibility is important.

Cormac O’Sullivan: Kuehne+Nagel has operated in this space for decades and continues to work with a wide variety of organisations. The global network positions us well to engage with this customer base and support them.

Q: Thank you very much for your time, insights and for contributing to the SeaNews content.

Cormac O’Sullivan: Thank you.

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