If you are like our household, you have perhaps been watching the sad images of so many of the people in Haiti as they try to cope and survive from the devastating earthquake that has hit that nation.  How can we as citizens of a world community not be impacted by these images of death and helplessness? 

As I pen this posting, logistics and transportation professionals are hard at work in overcoming extraordinary challenges in getting critical supplies to those in need.  While some may be frustrated by how long it is taking, the challenges of a currently destroyed seaport, an airport with limited capabilities, and roads that are impassable are all compounding themselves. We sometimes take the notion of “get it to me overnight” for granted, when global carriers and logistics networks make challenges so invisible to us.  Disaster relief is a specialized type of logistics problem, and it is very heartening to observe how many different countries, and how many logistics teams are rising to the challenge of providing aid to Haiti.

On the Logistics Viewpoint blog, Adrian Gonzalez provides a very informative overview of the current role of logistics relief efforts for Haiti, and how corporate citizens such as UPS, FedEx, DHL, industry associations and others lend their own helpful hands.  It is worthy of a read.

I share Adrian’s reach-out and thanks to everyone providing logistics and front-line support to the victims of Haiti.

The news of the devastating earthquake in Haiti has spread throughout the world.  Our thoughts and prayers are focused on all the people of Haiti, whose lives have been tragically and forever impacted by this event.  Help is needed and time is of the essence.

From a supply chain view, the immediate focus is for response.  Extraordinary talented military and civilian logistics teams who, as we write, are planning and deploying means to get emergency supplies and services to those in need.  One of the U.S. Navy’s largest amphibious ships will be responding along with a hospital ship. President Obama has called on all nations to also respond.  The effort will likely continue for many days and weeks to come.

We can all, as a community of people, add our assistance in financial or other support.  Please, if you can, donate whatever you can to the relief effort to the charity of your choice.  Looking for ways to help, here is the link to the American Red Cross .