On Wednesday 10 December, the European Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, Hajda Lahbib, announced a recent additional allocation of €5 million to support the strengthening and expansion of humanitarian supply chains.
Speaking at the Humanitarian Leadership Group on Supply Chain Conference in Brussels on Wednesday, Ms Lahbib stressed that humanitarian supply chains are “one of the most powerful and strategic tools we have to reach the most vulnerable on this planet”. Faced with growing global humanitarian needs and increasing pressure on logistics systems, the Commissioner called to “make our supply chains stronger, faster, greener, and able to withstand today’s shocks”.
Ms Lahbib pointed out that supply chains account for up to 80% of humanitarian expenditure, and that every efficiency gain saves more lives.
The Commissioner pointed out that the supply chain “is not an abstract system”, but “a chain made of people — nurses, pilots, truck drivers, volunteers, warehouse staff, humanitarian workers, and donors”.
In 2026, the European Commission plans to mobilise a further €10 million to speed up reform of the sector, by working towards better coordination, greater use of real-time data and strengthening local players. (Original version in French by Bernard Denuit)