Behind the scenes of the transport of humanitarian aid in Ukraine

Since the escalation of the war between Ukraine and Russia in 2022, Atlas Logistique has coordinated more than 3,700 aid deliveries, more than half of them to "red zones" located less than 20 kilometres from the front line, in other words, in areas where the needs are greatest but the risks are highest.

72 hours... that's the deadline Atlas Logistics sets itself to prepare and organise the delivery of humanitarian aid from receipt of the request to the final delivery point. This timeframe can be even shorter in emergencies, such as after the destruction of the Kakhovka dam in June 2023, when Atlas teams organised deliveries of drinking water within 24 hours of receiving the request, or in the case of urgent deliveries of medicines.

"Everything can change at the last minute”

Once a request to transport humanitarian aid has been received, HI's security experts immediately begin assessing the access conditions to the unloading point: road conditions, safe evacuation possibilities, presence of shelters, alerts and risks of bombardment. Despite all this preparation, everything can change at the last minute," says Vitalii Rabcheniuk, Transport Project Manager for Atlas Logistique in Ukraine:

"Sometimes the bombing starts and we have to wait until it's over before entering a town," he explains

To transport the supplies, Atlas Logistique relies on a network of local drivers who know the roads by heart, are used to checkpoints and know how to evacuate in the event of imminent danger.

The challenges are even greater for our teams during the winter period. Snow, ice, etc. make roads, already in very poor condition, almost impassable, which can lead to delays. Deliveries can take up to two days, and if they have to be postponed because of the weather, the logistics have to be planned from scratch.

Fuel, drinking water, medicines...

Atlas Logistique delivers various types of supplies, with specific requirements in winter:
•    small briquettes of solid fuel so that families can light fires and keep warm in areas where there is no electricity or heating;
•    water purification systems for populations in regions where drinking water has become a luxury
•    medicines, essential resources for people with serious chronic illnesses, such as diabetes or cancer. These medicines require special attention in terms of storage and transport. In addition to strictly monitored storage conditions, Atlas Logistique uses temperature-controlled lorries to ensure that the medicines are transported safely and to speed up the delivery process, which takes just 24 hours.

... for vulnerable civilians near frontline areas

The people supported by Atlas Logistique are mainly civilians who have been unable to leave isolated areas close to the front line.

"Older people and people with disabilities often refuse to be evacuated. Without humanitarian aid, their situation would be very difficult", explains Vitalii.

Atlas Logistique works with 67 organisations (international and ukrainians) to deliver humanitarian aid in 23 regions, including the most dangerous: Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kherson and Zaporizhzia. Collaboration between actors is essential to ensure that humanitarian aid is delivered quickly and safely:

"Cooperation is essential in such circumstances. It's difficult, it's dangerous, but we manage. The needs are endless, so with every successful delivery, I feel like we're making a real difference," concludes Vitalii.