Resident Coordinator's speech: WFP-UNHRD - Humanitarian Readiness & Supplies Expo 2026

Excellencies, 

Distinguished guests, 

Colleagues, partners, 

Ladies and gentlemen,

It is a pleasure to be here today at this first Suppliers Expo.  It’s wonderful to see so many colleagues, partners and partners to be. 

Indeed, partnership is at the core of effective humanitarian action.  When disasters strike, it’s our ability to mobilize partnerships that determine the strength of our response.  Communities are usually first responders – neighbors helping one another after an earthquake or a flood. 

They are often supported by local community groups and governments – police and medics, faith groups, firefighters and utility workers. 

And in the best responses, those actors are then strengthened by the support of national governments and international humanitarian partners – including those here today from the UN and NGOs. 

So partnerships are the foundation of humanitarian action.

They are the very essence of Sustainable Development Goal 17.

And this Expo is partnership in action.

It brings together governments, humanitarian organizations, civil society – and seeks to expand our existing partnerships to build deeper and wider connections with the private sector.

Not simply to exchange business cards.

But to exchange ideas.

To build knowledge and trust.

That is what partnership looks like.

Not only when responding to crises.

But in preparing for them and strengthening the systems that save lives when disaster strikes.

Now, even for those of us who have been in the United Nations a long time, procurement is often a bit of a mystery.  Complicated forms.  Lots of procedures.  Online registration systems.

But these systems exist for a reason – to ensure fairness and transparency, and value for money.  And they work when we get together to make them work, when we take the time to understand what is required, and how to get there. 

So I really appreciate today as an opportunity for the private sector to learn both about what the needs are in the humanitarian supply chain, and how you can be part of the solution.

Because that too is preparedness. 

So I want to express my sincere thanks to the World Food Programme - United Nations Humanitarian Response Depot - for bringing us together.

Because the need for partnership has never been greater.

Nowhere is this more evident than here in Asia and the Pacific.

Our region is the most vulnerable in the world to climate-related hazards.

From stronger typhoons and devastating floods to prolonged droughts and extreme heat, climate change is no longer a distant threat. It is a humanitarian reality, affecting millions of lives every year.

Nine countries in this region rank among the 20 most affected globally by extreme weather events. (OCHA)

Every year, disasters affect an average of 70 million people across Asia and the Pacific. (OCHA)

Climate and natural hazards force an estimated 24 million people from their homes annually, the highest level of disaster-related displacement anywhere in the world. (OCHA)

These are not simply statistics.

They are families rebuilding after another flood.

Children whose schools have been washed away.

Communities facing disaster after disaster, with little time to recover before the next one arrives.

And yet, preparedness is one of the first investments to go when funding is tight.  That is why I want to thank the Government of Malaysia for being such a steadfast partner and investing in disaster preparedness through its sustained support since 2010 for this UN Humanitarian Response Depot.  This is one of five such hubs around the world, ensuring that life-saving supplies are ready before disaster strikes and can reach communities when every hour matters.

Building on more than 25 years of operational excellence and WFP's legacy in humanitarian logistics, UNHRD today supports over 100 partners, including UN agencies, NGOs and governments to deliver life-saving assistance, often within 72 hours of an emergency.

And that partnership is making a real difference.

In 2025 alone, this hub dispatched more than 560 metric tonnes of essential relief supplies to communities affected by emergencies in Myanmar, the Philippines and Viet Nam. 

Those shipments, valued at more than USD 2 million, filled close to 2,000 cubic metres of cargo, ensuring critical assistance reached people when they needed it most.

The hub is also strengthening regional humanitarian supply chains. Last year, WFP-UNHRD managed approximately USD 18 million in procurement globally, with the Kuala Lumpur hub purchasing more than USD 1.4 million worth of relief goods.

These are impressive numbers.

But more importantly, they represent faster responses.

Stronger preparedness.

And lives saved through partnership.

Businesses are not simply suppliers to humanitarian operations.

You are strategic partners.

Your expertise in manufacturing, logistics, technology and innovation strengthens humanitarian preparedness and expands our collective capacity to respond.

This Expo reflects exactly that spirit—connecting humanitarian needs with regional capability and building partnerships before the next emergency arrives.

Here in Malaysia, we see that spirit every day.

The partnership between the United Nations and the Government of Malaysia demonstrates what shared responsibility can achieve.

This investment strengthens not only Malaysia's preparedness, but the humanitarian response capacity of the entire region.

Friends,

The challenges before us are growing.

But so too is our capacity to respond—when we choose partnership over isolation.

When governments lead.

When humanitarian organizations coordinate.

When businesses innovate.

When communities stand together.

Every partnership we build today can save lives tomorrow.

So let us leave this Expo with more than new contacts.

Let us leave with new commitments.

To collaborate more closely.

To innovate more boldly.

To prepare more effectively.

Because when the next disaster comes—and it will—people will not ask who was responsible.

They will ask who was ready.

Who reached them first.

Who stood beside them when they needed help most.

And that answer begins long before the emergency.

It begins with trust.

It begins with preparedness.

And it begins with partnership.

Thank you.