DHL Group has many interesting and impactful roles available, including in its Disaster Response Teams (DRTs), which the company highlighted on World Humanitarian Day.

In cooperation with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), DHL has established a global network consisting of around 900 specially trained DHL employees who volunteer their time to be a part of its DRT. There are DRTs for the Americas, the Middle East/Africa and Asia Pacific regions, and when called up by the United Nations after a disaster, DRTs can be on the ground and operational at a disaster-site airport within 72 hours.

DHL's commitment to making a positive global impact is also demonstrated via its Getting Airports Ready for Disaster (GARD) workshops in more than 30 countries and DHL helps provide over 70,000 tons of aid. Together with DHL's partners, UNOCHA and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), DHL strives to make a difference.

Learn more about the rewarding opportunities available with DHL's DRTs when embarking on a career with DHL.

Co-operating to make a positive global impact

In close cooperation with the worldwide humanitarian system, DRT members assume various logistics responsibilities all on a volunteer basis. They unload air freight palettes, warehouse relief supplies, conduct inventory and make sure that the incoming supplies are received by the appropriate relief organizations in an orderly fashion.

DHL's DRTs have a close and trusting strategic partnership with UNOCHA, which is responsible for mobilizing and coordinating humanitarian aid with national and international partners. The organization calls on the DRT when disasters strike, and a Memorandum of Understanding, which is signed upon deployment, regulates the cooperation with local government offices.

The global DRT network consists of three regional relief hubs that have been chosen strategically to cover 80 per cent of the world’s disaster hot-spots. One team is stationed in Singapore for operations in Asia Pacific. A second team, the DRT Americas in Panama, provides its services to the Latin American and Caribbean regions, while a third team is based in Dubai and covers the Middle East and Africa.

Ensuring deployment readiness with regular trainings

DHL provides its DRT volunteers with intensive training to make sure they are prepared for the extraordinary demands of such deployments. As part of the training, DRT volunteers are familiarized with various aspects of disaster relief and management.

Around 100 DHL employees are trained annually for disaster response deployments, and at least one exercise a year is conducted in each of the three DRT deployment regions.

Distributing urgently needed aid

Once relief goods have arrived at the airport, the shipments are repacked by DRT volunteers for storage in temporary warehouses and for distribution mostly by truck. To distribute urgently needed items such as health supplies, drinking water and food, however, DRT team members came up with the idea of using DHL shipping bags to distribute aid fast.

DRT teams sort urgent supplies into hundreds of polypropylene bags to create DHL Speedballs. When lands are flooded or roads have become impassable, the bundles can be loaded onto helicopters and flown directly into the inundated areas, where they are thrown into the water close to the people in need.

DHL's DRT's are ready to help in a crisis

As a volunteer with DHL’s DRTs, Monica Ramirez Gonzalez is on standby to fly to parts of the world affected by natural disasters to assist and supervise the movement of humanitarian supplies.

In her day job, Monica is a Customer Service Supervisor for DHL Express U.S., based in Costa Rica.

"I love working for this organization, and what really keeps me engaged is volunteering for DHL's DRTs. When called on by the U.N., the DRTs travel to areas of the world affected by natural disasters to provide logistical support for the movement of humanitarian goods. We work at disaster site airports to prevent bottlenecks and get supplies out quickly – and help save lives," shares Monica.

Working with volunteers to assist with humanitarian efforts

Monica has always had an involvement with volunteering projects in Costa Rica, so when she found out about the DRT initiative, she wanted to be part of it.

"My first deployment was in Peru after the devastating earthquake of 2007, when I was part of the team working out of the military air base in Pisco on the southern coast, helping to store aid supplies in two hangars. I’ve also been deployed in my home country of Costa Rica following hurricane Otto in 2016 and tropical storm Nate in 2017. I was Team Lead on both occasions," says Monica.

"Working in a disaster zone is not for everyone. First, you’re in basic surroundings – there are no creature comforts! You also have to face your fears. Ever since I was little, I’ve been afraid of earthquakes; and in Peru, after the 2007 earthquake, we were in the area when the aftershocks started, which was terrifying. I know there is a risk, but I also know that DHL will always take good care of us, and the DRTs feel very well supported," Monica explains.

"Plus, I’ve learned a lot about myself. I now know how to handle my fear of earthquakes, and I deal with them totally differently. Also, I never thought I’d be managing a team of volunteers, working in a warehouse and prioritizing pallets of goods," adds Monica.

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