Washington, DC, 18 April 2002 (PAHO)-- Humanitarian assistance after disasters can be detrimental when it fails to respond to the most urgent needs, sometimes even causing a "second disaster" when countries are flooded with unrequested or unnecessary supplies. To avoid this, a humanitarian supply management system called SUMA was created.

SUMA, by now a familiar name in the Americas and worldwide, began as a collective effort of the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, under the auspices of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), to improve the administration of humanitarian assistance, to reach those most affected adequately and quickly. Along the way, SUMA also became a symbol of transparency and accountability in dealing with humanitarian supplies.

"The international response to tragic earthquakes, such as that of El Salvador, points out the need to reexamine many myths and realities related to disasters, to find ways of stopping these destructive histories", said Dr. de Ville. "The myth that things return to normalcy a few weeks after a disaster is especially harmful."

When a major disaster occurs, national and international solidarity is mobilized and, in a matter of hours, supplies begin to arrive in the affected country. Many of these supplies, which usually have not been requested, are not useful or urgent in order to serve the needs caused by the emergency. On the contrary, they complicate the local capacity for reception, storage, classification, control, and distribution of the supplies, consuming te country's time and resources, he said.

The SUMA computerized supply management system attempts to make order of the chaos often caused by uncoordinated humanitarian relief. The system initially targeted health-related supplies in the aftermath of a disaster. At the urging of most Latin American countries, the scope of SUMA was broadened to include all relief items. It formally started operations in 1992 with the financial support of the Government of the Netherlands, and currently has more than 2,500 trained volunteers around the world, an integrated logistics course, and it is included in the curriculum of several universities.

"It is essential that the press and the donor community know what are good and poor practices in the management of public health emergencies," Dr. de Ville said. "Recent sudden impact natural disasters in the Americas and elsewhere have shown the need for international contributions in cash and not in kind. This ensures that allocation of resources is oriented in the field by evidence of what is needed on location."

Here, SUMA plays an essential role, helping administer supplies that arrive and classify them from their entry point to establish priorities for their distribution. At the same time, information on the type and characteristics of supplies can be collected. This is done through an integrated approach that includes locally trained personnel, especially designed materials, and a flexible, user-friendly electronic tool, Dr. de Ville added.

The SUMA system is organized at three levels: central SUMA, field unit and SUMA Management of Storerooms. Information on supplies is obtained from different entry points, such as airports, maritime port or terrestrial borders. SUMA identifies, sorts and classifies incoming humanitarian aid, prioritizes supplies based on the needs of the affected population, and provides a "snapshot" of the flow of donations and the gaps that still exist. It also enables the preparation of reports and information sharing among humanitarian organizations, helping them administer supplies during the emergency.

"As was the case in El Salvador, people there want the same thing as any victim of a disaster: to rebuild safer houses, to have their 'normal' health problems attended at health centers, to put their children back in school and to continue their normal lives, "said Dr. de Ville. "Unilateral contributions of unrequested goods are inappropriate, burdensome and divert resources from what is needed."

The main objective of the SUMA project has been to develop self-sufficiency in the countries, so they can handle humanitarian assistance with their own resources. National SUMA teams consist of volunteers from national health and relief organizations, Civil Defense or armed forces, ministries of foreign affairs, customs officers, the Red Cross, and other non-government organizations.

Although the SUMA software is the property of PAHO, the Organization provides the system and training at no cost to interested organizations. SUMA experts have offered courses in Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, France, India, Japan, Rwanda, and the United Kingdom, and SUMA has been used in complex disaster situations such as that of East Timor.

PAHO, which also serves as the Regional Office for the Americas of the World Health Organization, was established officially in 1902, It works with all the countries of the Americas to improve the health and raise the living standards of their peoples.

Related Information:
PAHO BOOK: Humanitarian Supply Management and Logistics in the Health Sector