ASEAN KICKS-OFF THE OPERATIONALISATION OF THE NEW SATELLITE WAREHOUSE IN CHAI NAT, THAILAND
ASEAN’s second satellite warehouse that will serve as the logistics hub for the Mekong sub-region was inaugurated during its operational launching on 13 December 2019, at its location in the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) Regional Centre 16, in Chai Nat Province, Thailand.
The AHA Centre and the DDPM, Ministry of Interior, Thailand as co-managers of the satellite warehouse, were joined by representatives from ASEAN Member States, ASEAN Dialogue Partners, other partners of the AHA Centre, and members of the private sector and civil society to inaugurate the satellite warehouse. The event kick-started the full functionality of the warehouse, and signifies ASEAN’s commitment to realise the vision of One ASEAN One Response.
The satellite warehouse is designed to accommodate ASEAN’s collective response in the region – in particular in Thailand and neighbouring countries including Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Viet Nam. The satellite warehouse is now equipped with international-standard stockpiles adjusted to ASEAN needs. The relief items range from kits for disaster-affected communities to equipment for assisting on-the-ground operations of the National Disaster Management Organisations (NDMOs) of the affected countries, as well as the ASEAN Emergency Response and Assessment Team (ASEAN-ERAT).
During the 34th ASEAN Summit in Bangkok on 23 June 2019, ASEAN Leaders oversaw the soft launch of the ASEAN satellite warehouse in Thailand, under the Disaster Emergency Logistics System for ASEAN (DELSA). The soft launch was intended to introduce the satellite warehouse as one of the ASEAN mechanisms to ensure speed in the delivery of relief assistance, in line with the aspirations of One ASEAN One Response. Thailand’s satellite warehouse will complement the existing regional stockpile stored in the UN Humanitarian Response Depot (UNHRD) in Subang, Malaysia, and another satellite warehouse located in the Philippines that was launched in July 2019.
The establishment of the satellite warehouse is an embodiment of ASEAN’s effort to increase the speed, scale and solidarity of ASEAN’s collective support to ASEAN Member States affected by disasters. The AHA Centre and DDPM Thailand acknowledge the invaluable support from the Government of Japan through the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF), and the Ministry of Interior of Thailand, provided to the DELSA project that has made the effort possible.
Written by : Ina Rachmawati and Caroline Widagdo | Photo Credit : AHA Centre
