Held in Brisbane, Australia, from 15 to 19 June, the training included participants from Cook Islands, Kiribati, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga and Vanuatu.

The training covered the full warehouse cycle, including procurement, receiving and storing relief supplies, quality assurance, kitting and dispatch, warehouse management systems and a live simulation exercise. Participants also completed accredited first aid certification.

"This Exchange is localisation in action. Pacific people are at the centre of their own resilience, and the skills our NDMO logistics officers are building this week are those that will keep relief supplies moving when disaster hits," said George Beck, PHWP Programme Manager. "By listening to our Pacific partners, we can make sure the support we provide is grounded in their realities."

The exchange is designed around peer-to-peer learning, enabling Pacific logistics officers to share their own practices and operational realities. This helps partners tailor support to the needs and priorities of Pacific-managed warehouses before and during emergencies.

"By connecting Pacific practitioners to global systems, expertise and partnerships, this exchange helps translate strong technical capability into locally-led, sustainable systems," said Emma Conlan, Country Director a.i., WFP Pacific. "WFP is proud to work with SPC and Australia's Humanitarian Logistics Capability to ensure assistance reaches communities faster, more efficiently and when it matters most."

Australia's humanitarian warehouse is a 10,000m² facility that can store emergency resources for 55,000 people across three simultaneous crises, and has been one of the response bases for recent Pacific disasters, including Tropical Cyclone Maila earlier this year. On returning home, participants will lead debrief sessions within their respective NDMOs, ensuring the benefits reach well beyond the first cohort.

"Humanitarian logistics is not just about supplies and systems. It's about skilled people making practical decisions under pressure," said Steve Scott, Humanitarian Coordinator, Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. "By bringing Pacific counterparts together at our warehouse, we are turning logistics knowledge into stronger preparedness, better coordination and faster response. We are also learning from our Pacific partners, which helps keep Australia's humanitarian capability relevant and responsive to the needs of affected communities."

The PHWP's vision is that by 2031, 14 Pacific Island countries and Timor-Leste will manage their own humanitarian warehouses and increasingly lead their own disaster responses with greater independence and sustainability. The Australian Government Humanitarian Warehouse will continue to be available when Pacific Governments request Australian support.

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The United Nations World Food Programme is the world's largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

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