DHL Introduces Disaster Prevention at Airports in Bangladesh

DHAKA, Bangladesh, June 7, 2011 -

- Deutsche Post DHL and the United Nations Development Programme
run preparedness program "Get Airports Ready for Disaster"

- Next training to be conducted at the Dhaka and Chittagong
airports

Deutsche Post DHL will conduct its "Get Airports Ready for Disaster"
(GARD) training at the Dhaka and Chittagong airports in Bangladesh in June,
preparing both airports and personnel for the post-disaster logistics
situation. The aim of the training is to improve local logistics capacities
so that bottlenecks at disaster-site airports can be avoided when huge
volumes of incoming relief goods arrive ad hoc. After conducting trainings in
Indonesia and Nepal, the world's leading transport and logistics company now
adds a third country to its GARD beneficiaries - Bangladesh. During the
four-day program trainees - airport staff as well as local and government
officials - learn to assess local requirements and create detailed
contingency plans.

    (Logo: www.prnasia.com/sa/2011/06/07/20110607646009-l.jpg )
    (Logo: www.prnasia.com/sa/2011/06/07/20110607284590-l.jpg )

The GARD program was developed together with the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP) to train airport personnel, local security
officials and representatives of national disaster agencies in airport
logistics management. Launched in 2009, GARD grew out of first-hand
experience that showed just how important it is for disaster-prone regions
and airports to be disaster-ready, i.e. be able to respond quickly and
effectively to the challenges of disaster relief logistics.

"We've gathered enough experience in disaster relief to know that
efficient airport logistics are critical when it comes to getting aid to the
people who need it most," says Frank Appel, CEO Deutsche Post DHL. "The GARD
initiative allows us to pass on our logistics expertise to local communities
in disaster-free times. This way GARD is a smart addition to our regular
disaster management activities following natural disasters."

The GARD instructors are specially trained logistics and training experts
from Deutsche Post DHL, some of whom are already involved as volunteers in
the company's disaster management program. They will conduct the GARD
training for some 20 participants in the capital city of Dhaka, and in the
port city of Chittagong, which is located in southern Bangladesh. Trainees
include not only airport personnel but security officers and military
officials. Representatives from various humanitarian organizations, such as
the UN World Food Programme and the International Committee of the Red Cross
(ICRC) are also present as important partners on the ground.

"For many across the globe, Bangladesh is synonymous with disasters. Yet
the country has a strong tradition of resilience in the face of natural
hazards, and is now recognised as a leader in disaster management," says
Robert Juhkam, Country Director a.i, UNDP Bangladesh. "UNDP has been working
hand-in-hand with Government of Bangladesh since the early 1990s on building
disaster management capacity and a key player in coordinating emergency
response and preparedness efforts. The importance of airports during the
immediate aftermath of a disaster event cannot be understated."

"GARD is a useful initiative and Deutsche Post DHL applies a unique
approach in Bangladesh. GARD is one of the programs through which DHL is
helping the communities in Bangladesh and across the globe", said Mr.
Nooruddin Chowdhury, Managing Director, DHL Global Forwarding Bangladesh.

The GARD training program begins with an assessment of the existing
situation, including available personnel, equipment and the airfield
situation. Warehouse space, for example, is one the program's focus areas.
Trainees are instructed in assessing storage options for relief goods and
whether the necessary equipment is available for cargo handling, such as
forklifts, pallets, gloves and boxes. In the workshops, the local trainees
evaluate the results and develop contingency plans accordingly. GARD
participants learn how to optimize logistics processes and capacities for
when international relief goods begin to pour into the airport. Once trained,
the participants in Bangladesh shall evaluate their contingency plans on a
regular basis and prepare the event of a crisis with local NGOs, the
government and airport officials. GARD will be conducted as part of the
"Comprehensive Disaster Management Programme 2010-2014 (CDMP II)" a
multi-donor UNDP-support project of the Bangladesh Ministry of Food and
Disaster Management, to ensure longer-term implementation of the training
results.

Bangladesh is prone to regular flooding as well as to cyclones. With most
of the country situated in the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna River delta and
along the Gulf of Bengal, monsoon rains and meltwaters from the Himalaya
place Bangladesh at constant risk of flooding. Many of the country's large
cities are also just a few meters above sea level and are at high risk of
earthquakes.

The GARD concept is the natural next step for Deutsche Post DHL in its
commitment to humanitarian relief, which began with its Disaster Response
Team (DRT) program. As part of the Group's Corporate Responsibility program
GoHelp, the DRTs have been deployed to over 20 airports since 2005. The DRTs,
which work free of charge and in close cooperation with the UN, help keep the
flow of incoming relief goods moving at disaster-site airports.

                                   - End -

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For DHL Asia Pacific & EEMEA, Corporate Communications and , Sustainability, Anita Gupta, +65 6216 6290, Fax: +65 6216 6603, APEEMEACorpCommunications at dhl.com; For United Nations Development Programme, Bangladesh, Abdullah Al Muyid, +880(2)8118600 extn. 1917, abdullah.muyid at undpaffiliates.org