The Ultimate Guide to Humanitarian Logistics
Planning, procurement, warehousing, transport, last-mile delivery, cold chain, customs, coordination, data, preparedness and practical field checklists.
Humanitarian resources
Aid Worker Resources
Practical resources for humanitarian workers and people supporting field teams: emergency contacts, embassy directories, protection and safeguarding, health, security, training, coordination, standards, careers and crisis source links.
Important
Online guidance does not replace your field briefing
This hub is designed to help aid workers prepare, orientate and find trusted resources quickly. In the field, the instructions from your organisation, security focal point, medical adviser, safeguarding lead, country office, local partners and coordination mechanisms take priority.
Updated resources hub
New and core AidWorkers.com resources
The Resources hub features the Humanitarian Logistics guide alongside Protection & Safeguarding, field health, career guidance and the expanded Aid News topic hubs.
Aid Worker Emergency Contact Pack
Downloadable PDF for embassy details, local emergency numbers, medical contacts, insurance, evacuation information and trusted organisational contacts before travel.
Protection & Safeguarding
A dedicated hub for safeguarding, protection, survivor-centred practice, reporting routes, child protection, trafficking, exploitation and abuse concerns.
Maintaining Your Own Health
Comprehensive field health guidance covering water, food, illness, malaria, animals, fatigue, mental health, burnout, briefings and when to seek medical advice.
Humanitarian Career Guidance
Practical guidance for people preparing for humanitarian aid work, first postings, applications, field readiness and professional development.
Protection & Safeguarding
Safeguarding, exploitation, abuse, trafficking and disclosure response
Protection and safeguarding are now a major resource area on AidWorkers.com. The pages are written for calm, sensitive use by aid workers, managers, volunteers, local partners and people preparing for humanitarian work.
They cover survivor-centred principles, what to do when someone discloses abuse, child protection, child marriage, PSEA, gender-based violence, trafficking and sexual exploitation. They are not a substitute for trained protection, safeguarding, GBV, child protection, medical or legal support.
Core rule: listen, protect safety, do not investigate yourself, do not promise secrecy you cannot keep, and follow the correct reporting and referral route.
- Protection & Safeguarding HubStart here for protection principles, safeguarding responsibilities and survivor-centred practice.
- Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and TraffickingA sensitive guide to exploitation, abuse, trafficking, coercion, forced sex, survival sex and people exploited through prostitution.
- Gender-Based ViolenceHow crisis settings increase risks of GBV, sexual violence, intimate partner violence and abuse against people of different genders and sexualities.
- Child Protection and Child MarriageChild safeguarding, child marriage, separated children, forced marriage and child protection referral pathways.
- PSEAProtection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, power imbalance, reporting channels and organisational accountability.
- Responding to a DisclosureWhat to do when someone discloses abuse: listen, do not investigate, explain limits of confidentiality and use safe referral routes.
Field health
Health, resilience and duty of care
Humanitarian work can place people under sustained physical and psychological pressure. Poor water, poor sanitation, mosquitoes, heat, fatigue, insecurity, trauma exposure, long hours and poor rest can quickly affect judgement and safety.
The new field health page brings together practical guidance on eating safely, drinking clean water, avoiding dysentery, reducing mosquito bites and malaria risk, avoiding animal bites and rabies exposure, maintaining fitness, sleep, mental health and knowing when to seek medical advice.
Basic field health checks
- Follow the health and security briefing for your location.
- Know where approved medical help is available.
- Use safe water and food hygiene rules consistently.
- Protect against mosquitoes where malaria, dengue or other vector risks exist.
- Avoid contact with dogs, cats, bats and other animals unless cleared by your organisation.
- Act early when diarrhoea, fever, dehydration, injury, distress or exhaustion develops.
Emergency contact pack
Save essential information before you need it
Phones break, networks fail, borders close, offices move and emergencies rarely happen at a convenient time. The emergency contact pack is designed to be saved locally, printed and shared with the right trusted contacts before travel.
Use it to record local emergency numbers, embassy details, accommodation address in local language, medical information, insurance, evacuation contacts, organisational duty phones, local colleagues, drivers and safe contact routes.
Before deployment or field movement
- Complete the pack before leaving.
- Save one offline copy on your phone.
- Keep one printed copy where appropriate.
- Give a copy to a trusted family or organisational contact if safe to do so.
- Update it whenever you move location.
Embassy and consular support
Official embassy and consular directories
Do not rely on an old copied list. Embassy addresses, emergency telephone numbers and appointment systems change. Use official government directories and save the details for your nearest mission before travel.
| Nationality / system | Use for | Official link |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom FCDO | British embassy, high commission and consulate directory. | Official directory |
| United States Embassies | U.S. embassy and consulate directory. | Official directory |
| Canada Travel Assistance | Canadian embassy and consular assistance directory. | Official directory |
| Australia Smartraveller | Australian consular services and emergency help. | Official directory |
| New Zealand MFAT | New Zealand embassy and high commission directory. | Official directory |
| Ireland DFA | Irish embassy and consulate directory. | Official directory |
| European Union Consular Protection | EU consular protection information for citizens abroad. | Official directory |
Career and field readiness
Career guidance linked to practical field preparation
Career preparation is not only about getting a job. It also means understanding conduct, safeguarding, field health, first deployment pressure, local context, security instructions and what humanitarian organisations expect from staff and volunteers.
Career Hub
Start here for aid work career guidance and field readiness.
First-Time Aid Workers
Pre-departure, arrival, first-week priorities and practical checks for first postings.
Maintaining Your Own Health
Physical and mental health while working in demanding humanitarian settings.
What Recruiters Look For
Evidence, judgement, conduct and practical qualities humanitarian recruiters value.
Re-entry Syndrome
Returning home after humanitarian deployment and dealing with reverse culture shock.
Aid News topic hubs
Current crisis and topic pages
AidWorkers.com now has topic hubs for major humanitarian crises and themes. Use them for crisis context, source links, response information and internal navigation across the site.
Aid News
Current humanitarian reporting, crisis source links and AidWorkers.com topic hubs.
Sudan Crisis News
Source links and context around Sudan, displacement, protection, access and famine risk.
Gaza Strip News
Humanitarian access, aid delivery, civilian protection and crisis source links.
Occupied Palestinian Territory News
Broader oPt humanitarian context, source links and response updates.
Ukraine War News
Humanitarian updates, displacement, winterisation, protection and response links.
Somalia News
Drought, conflict, food insecurity, displacement and response context.
Yemen News
Humanitarian access, food insecurity, health, protection and relief response links.
Democratic Republic of Congo News
Conflict, displacement, disease outbreaks, protection and relief response updates.
Aid Worker Safety News
Security, access, incidents, duty of care and operational risk updates.
Food Insecurity News
Hunger, famine risk, livelihoods, food assistance and crisis analysis.
Funding Cuts News
Humanitarian financing, emergency appeals, funding gaps and programme consequences.
Coordination and operations
Coordination, standards, training and operational information
Good field work depends on accurate operational information, recognised standards, coordination channels and current context. Use trusted sector platforms, but always check whether the information is current and relevant to your location.
Useful areas include situation reports, needs assessments, cluster coordination, funding data, mapping, logistics, WASH, health, protection, shelter, food security, cash assistance, MEAL, accountability and safeguarding.
Ask before using a resource operationally
- Is it current?
- Does it apply to the country, area and population?
- Is it approved or recognised by your organisation?
- Does it conflict with the live security briefing?
- Does using it create a data, protection or confidentiality risk?
Directory
Humanitarian resource directory
External links open in a new tab. These resources are included as starting points for humanitarian information, coordination, standards, training, protection, health, safety, logistics, mapping and operational support.
ReliefWeb
Humanitarian reports, crisis updates, jobs, training and appeals.
ReliefWeb Response
Operational response pages, assessments, meetings and contacts.
OCHA Humanitarian Action
Needs overviews, response plans, funding requirements and monitoring.
Humanitarian Data Exchange
Humanitarian datasets for crises, countries and organisations.
ACAPS
Independent humanitarian analysis, forecasts and crisis briefings.
Sphere Standards
Minimum standards for humanitarian response and accountability.
CHS Alliance
Core Humanitarian Standard, quality, accountability and safeguarding.
DisasterReady
Free online learning for humanitarian and development workers.
Humanitarian Leadership Academy
Learning resources and support for humanitarian leadership and local capacity.
GISF
NGO security guidance, papers, events and good practice.
INSO
Operational safety and security information for NGOs in selected contexts.
Aid Worker Security Database
Incident data and research on violence affecting aid operations.
GBV Guidelines
Guidelines and tools for GBV risk mitigation in humanitarian action.
GBV Pocket Guide
Practical support for non-GBV specialists responding to a disclosure.
UN PSEA
Protection from sexual exploitation and abuse resources and standards.
UNICEF Child Marriage
Child marriage information and child protection context.
WHO Health Emergencies
Health emergency information and technical resources.
TravelHealthPro
UK travel health guidance, outbreak information and country advice.
Logistics Cluster
Humanitarian logistics coordination, operational information and services.
UNHAS
WFP-managed humanitarian air services for passengers and light cargo.
MapAction
Mapping and geospatial support for humanitarian emergencies.
Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team
Open mapping for disaster response and community resilience.
FAQ
Using the resources section safely
Can these pages replace my organisation’s security or health briefing?
No. These pages support preparation and orientation. Your current field briefing, duty-of-care procedure, medical advice, safeguarding policy, reporting route and local referral pathway take priority.
Why are safeguarding pages under Resources?
Safeguarding and protection are practical field resources. They affect programme design, community accountability, conduct, referral pathways, safety, reporting and the way aid workers respond when they witness, suspect or are told about abuse.
Should I investigate suspected abuse myself?
No. Aid workers should not conduct informal investigations unless that is their trained, authorised role. Follow the safeguarding, protection, GBV or child protection reporting route and preserve safety and confidentiality.
What should I save offline before travel?
Save emergency numbers, embassy details, accommodation information, medical and insurance contacts, evacuation contacts, security instructions, duty phones, local maps and essential identity or permit documents as appropriate.
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Support the ongoing development of practical humanitarian resources, field guidance, crisis information and support for people doing difficult work in difficult places.