Collaborative power: how Hulo transforms humanitarian logistics

Hulo is the first humanitarian logistics cooperative. Composed of fourteen member organisations, Hulo connects humanitarian actors to enhance the effectiveness of aid. Hulo helps aid actors improve their logistics, reduce their environmental impact, and provide a better response by pooling resources and optimising their supply chain. 

Hulo currently has six countries of intervention: Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Jordan, and Lebanon. 

The current members of the Hulo cooperative are: Acted, Action Contre la Faim, Bioport Humanitarian Logistics, the French Red Cross, Fleet Forum, Handicap International, Intersos, Médecins du Monde, the Norwegian Refugee Council, Oxfam Intermon, Plan International, Première Urgence International, Solidarités International, and Welthungerhilfe.

Humanitarian needs are increasing at an alarming rate while funding is failing to keep pace. As of June 2024, OCHA estimates the global humanitarian funding gap at $40.8 billion. Yet the number of people in need due to conflict and natural disasters has continued to grow. In the context of emerging humanitarian crises across the world, aid actors must find new ways of working together. Organisations also need to reduce their environmental impact and find more effective methods to deliver aid to beneficiaries. Facing complex challenges, humanitarian actors evolve their ways of working to adapt and overcome obstacles in the sector. Hulo’s goal is to bring a network of engaged stakeholders to respond to this ongoing challenge. 

Hulo’s model allows organisations with the same objectives to pool financing and resources in a collaborative model. Hulo welcomes all humanitarian actors to get involved; members of the cooperative and interested participants alike can join a Joint Initiative. The cooperative brings together a diverse group of international organisations, local networks, academics, and private sector partners. Hulo helps humanitarian actors find new ways of working to save time, money, and resources to better serve communities and individuals around the world.

Hulo tackles a wide variety of challenges in humanitarian logistics, responding to the requests of cooperative members and participants. In its countries of intervention, Hulo organises Joint Initiatives for logistics, transport, vehicle pooling, and environmental impact reduction with local and international partners. Organisations meet in local committees to discuss their shared challenges and to decide upon which projects to undertake. These projects have responded to a variety of needs, such as waste management, joint purchasing, carpooling, and hiring technical specialists in the field. Driven by country and regional needs, Joint Initiatives allow all interested partners to improve their logistics and share their expertise. 

At the global level, Hulo coordinates the deployment of EU capacities via the European Union Humanitarian Air Bridge. This initiative, funded by the European Commission, sends flights carrying cargo from multiple organisations to help reinforce humanitarian responses. Using the Transport by Hulo platform, aid organisations can register their cargo delivery needs and the destination country to be informed of upcoming flights. Hulo then coordinates the distribution of cargo, facilitating its carriage to the destination airport. Organisations can then organise customs clearance and send the cargo to their target community. Since 2020, Hulo has helped facilitate 168 flights to countries across Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East. 

In addition to Hulo’s field activities, the cooperative develops digital solutions. Hulo’s Information Services team creates platforms and applications to facilitate resource pooling. Currently, Hulo is beta testing the Shared Resources app, an online marketplace that lets registered humanitarian organisations share their needs and offers for resources at the local level. Additionally, Hulo is developing the next iteration of LINK, a supply chain management software designed for the sector. LINK V2 will prepare the software to be used by a greater number of aid organisations and to integrate new functionalities. 

To measure the results of these initiatives, Hulo’s Business Analytics and Research Department analyses member organisations’ logistics data to help member organisations improve their purchasing and to identify potential Joint Initiatives. Data-sharing between humanitarian organisations assists Hulo in identifying projects of shared interest and providing tailored assistance to cooperative members. 

Since Hulo’s launch in 2021, the cooperative has experienced rapid growth with demonstrated results for participants. In four years, Hulo has grown to have fourteen member organisations, providing a wide range of expertise in aid and logistics. By becoming members of the cooperative, they have committed to integrating cooperative approaches to humanitarian logistics into their internal processes. Further, each member is a stakeholder in the cooperative, having an active role in its direction and governance. Joining the cooperative has allowed member organisations to meet and find new commonalities, resulting in their participation in Joint Initiatives, member involvement in software deployment, and data-sharing. 

Over 60 humanitarian organisations have also participated in at least one Joint Initiative. On an ad hoc basis, these local and international NGOs have chosen to engage in Hulo’s projects, allowing non-member institutions to benefit from saved time, money, and resources. Incorporating participant organisations ensures that the largest number of partners possible can join a network of humanitarians with shared interests and goals. 

The cooperative has also had a measurable impact on field operations. In the 2024 Annual Impact Report, Hulo’s Business Analytics and Research Department found that participating organisations benefited from approximately 15% of cost savings by participating in Hulo Joint Procurement Initiatives. Going forward, the cooperative aims to continue this progress by involving a greater number of participants and integrating new ways of working within its member organisations.

Hulo helps aid actors adapt to the evolving needs of communities and the sector by providing innovative solutions for humanitarian logistics. Together, we are stronger.