Platforms Enhancing the Engagement of the Private Sector in Humanitarian Relief Operations

Abstract: As disasters become progressively more frequent and complex, better collaboration through partnerships with private business becomes more important. This research aimed to un-derstand how platforms support the engagement of the private sector—especially logistics busi-nesses—in humanitarian relief operations. The study was based on a literature review and on an investigation of an emblematic case of the cross-sector platform, recognized at a global level in lo-gistics and supply chain management, between the United Nations World Food Programme and the Logistics Emergency Teams (WFP/LET), composed of four global leading logistics providers. The insights resulting from this paper may be of particular interest to both academics and profes-sionals regarding the two sectors, profit and non-profit. This is because the implementation of the platform reflects the concrete benefit for people in need reached by the humanitarian relief opera-tions. It may also constitute a useful tool for building an agile supply chain capable of being resil-ient in responding to sudden and unexpected changes in the context, both in humanitarian and commercial supply chains.