QUICK TAKES

Panama A Humanitarian Aid Hub?

By Juan Carlos Martinez

Panama once again is seeking to leverage its single most unique asset which is its privileged geographic position. It is theliteral and physical connection between Central and South America. The intelligence to make this the logistics hub for humanitarian aid agencies under the UN is likely.  If the United  Nations chooses Panama, then the humanitarian aid, including the World Food Program, will certainly have all the advantages of this very progressive country, as well as its location.   

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Panama has already put into action an extremely modern logistics center that allow the UN to service and respond to any emergency within 24 to 48 hours. In case of any emergency, speed and efficiency is critical. This agency would be responsible for providing support in the humanitarian efforts of the other agencies as well as within the United Nations.

To further explore this possibility, the Deputy Regional Director of the World Food Program, Jaime Vallure, and the Manager of the Humanitarian Response Deposit in Panama, Mirjana Kavelj, met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Juan Carlos Varela, and the Director of Foreign Policy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Alfredo Castillero Hoyos, to further conversations regarding the creation of this center.

Panama is quite enthused with this idea and hopes to become one of the elite countries in terms of Humanitarian Logistics at a Worldwide level in order to be ready to provide humanitarian aid to the American continent.  Other logistics centers for humanitarian aid are located in Italy, Ghana, Arabian Emirates and Malaysia. The choice to have the next center here in Panama makes perfect sense. Panama is ready and eager to serve in a greater capacity for all those in need.

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