Inside the world’s largest humanitarian logistics hub

What is your role and what does it involve? 

My name is Aatef Kadoun. I am the Logistics Officer managing the UNHCR Global Stockpile Management in Dubai, UAE.

From this warehouse, we dispatch aid globally.

Dubai Humanitarian hosts UNHCR’s largest global stockpile free of charge, strategically located in a free zone close to Jebel Ali Port, Al Maktoum International Airport, and Dubai International Airport. Supported by the UAE’s strong logistics network and fast-track customs clearance processes, this enables UNHCR to mobilise and transport relief items and respond to crises within 72 hours, reaching refugees and internally displaced people worldwide.

It is one of seven stockpiles around the world, with other locations in Copenhagen, Nairobi, Douala, Accra, Panama City and Termez. 

I manage the warehouse and lead a team that ensures every core relief item is ready for deployment within a moment’s notice.

How long have you been working with UNHCR and what inspired you to become involved in humanitarian work?  

I have been with UNHCR for over 12 years. I wanted to use my skills in supply chain for something that really matters.

Any of us can become a refugee. We could lose our house, our jobs, our family in just a minute. 

I saw that getting help to the right place at the right time can save lives and I wanted to be part of that chain of hope.

How does the work in the warehouse connect to the bigger picture of supporting refugees and communities in need?  

From this warehouse alone, we support 772,000 beneficiaries. 

My role is to ensure the operation runs smoothly, like a well-oiled machine. We identify the most efficient way to deliver supplies to people in crisis, to support as many families as possible.

Aatef (centre) inside UNHCR’s global stock management in Dubai. © UNHCR/(GSM Dubai Team)

In 2025 we sent shipments to Myanmar, Sudan, Chad and Burkina Faso.  

How do you make sure aid reaches families once it leaves the warehouse? 

We make sure our aid is in safe hands every step of the way.  

We check all the shipments from dispatch to delivery, responding effectively whilst keeping our carbon footprint as low as possible. 

Our suppliers and service providers are chosen carefully, and our partners who distribute the aid on the ground go through a strict selection process. They also take part in training, capacity building and curricular monitoring to ensure everything is done smoothly. 

It’s a chain of trust from our hands to the hand of a mother or father in refugee camp.

What happens in the warehouse when an unexpected full-scale emergency hits, for example after the earthquake in Afghanistan last year? 

When an emergency strikes, it’s like a button is pressed. Everyone in the warehouse turns to the emergency with all hands on deck until the job is completed. 

Think of the warehouse as a beating heart. From here a lifeblood in the form of aid flows out to the people who have lost everything. 

We pack blankets that will warm a shivering child.  

We load the tent that will become a family’s shelter, providing protection from the rain and wind. 

Our work is a vital first step in wrapping a blanket of safety and dignity around those who need it most. 

We always keep an eye on emergency alerts, ready to respond at any moment. At the same time, we continue our regular work.

How do donations make your job possible and support UNHCR’s emergency preparedness? 

Donor contributions are the foundation of everything we do. They are the fuel that powers this entire operation. Without them, our warehouses would be empty.  

Donor funding allows us to be proactive. It has enabled us to preposition aid which is a game-changer.  

With donor support, we’re able to negotiate long-term contracts, buy in bulk, and save significant costs – so when disaster strikes, we don’t need to start from zero. This is crucial for stockpiling and emergency preparedness. It allows us to act immediately, saving crucial time and ultimately countless lives.  

This is the difference between watching a crisis unfold and being able to act immediately from day one. 

We are deeply grateful for all their support.

Help ensure UNHCR can respond when an emergency strikes and provide urgent life-saving support to those who have been forced to leave their homes. Donate here.