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General information about how emergency medical supplies are organised, not medical advice. Sources checked 2026-10-31.
Short answer
Humanitarian logistics is the work of getting relief supplies, including medicines and medical equipment, to the people who need them in an emergency. For health supplies, much of it relies on standardised kits, supplies prepositioned in strategic locations, and long-term agreements with suppliers. NGOs can obtain WHO kits, use UNICEF procurement services, or arrange direct procurement.
Definition and scope
The term covers the humanitarian supply chain: acquiring supplies and services and delivering them where and when they are needed. This page focuses on medical and health supplies, where the questions that matter to labs, clinics and supply managers are what is in a kit, how many people it serves and who can order it. Related background: the Strategic National Stockpile and disaster medical assistance teams cover national response assets, and central stores defines the warehouse function.
How relief supplies are standardised in practice
WHO has developed standardised health kits of medicines and medical supplies for humanitarian emergencies and disasters. According to WHO, they are used by United Nations agencies, nongovernmental organizations and national governments, and their contents are reviewed and updated from emergency experience. WHO states that a certain number of kits are prepositioned in strategic locations so they can be mobilised quickly, and that long-term agreements with suppliers are in place to ensure rapid shipment wherever needed.
Worked example: the Interagency Emergency Health Kit (IEHK 2024)
The IEHK 2024 is divided into two modules, basic and supplementary, and each module is divided into units, which are product categories packaged separately. WHO describes the kit as designed for an outreach population of 10 000 people for 3 months; the basic module is quantified for 1,000 people over an estimated 3 months.
| Module | Intended level of care | Medicines | Design population (WHO) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | Primary health care or outpatient services; nurses and community health workers | Oral medicines only, plus other supplies and reusable equipment | Quantified for 1,000 people, about 3 months |
| Supplementary | Hospital-level care; physicians, nurses and other specialised staff | Oral and injectable medicines | Whole kit: 10,000 people, 3 months |
The supplementary module includes separate oral, injectable and mental health medicine units, and the cold chain, PEP, malaria and controlled-substance units remain separate units. Because units can be requested in different quantities, a requester orders by unit rather than only as a whole kit.
How do NGOs procure medical supplies?
There is no single route. The routes documented by the organisations below are:
- A standard WHO kit. WHO programmes, regional offices, country programmes and UNAIDS can order the IEHK 2024 with a catalogue GSM requisition. Entities outside WHO are directed to WHO Procurement Services, with “IEHK 2024” in the subject line; Procurement Services advises on direct procurement. For WHO projects, the Mental Health Kit (MHK 2022) is requested instead of the kit’s mental health unit.
- UNICEF procurement services. UNICEF states that it buys and delivers health, nutrition, education, hygiene and sanitation supplies and and offers them to partners through its procurement services.
- Disease- or situation-specific kits. WHO lists further kits besides the IEHK, including cholera, trauma and emergency surgery (TESK 2025), noncommunicable disease, pneumonia, measles, and sample collection kits.
Where it matters for labs, clinics and supply decisions
- The basic and supplementary modules are built for different levels of care.
- Cold chain and controlled-substance items are separate units, so they are handled as distinct product categories rather than bundled with general supplies.
- Kit quantities are tied to a stated population and duration.
- Prepositioning and long-term supplier agreements are the mechanisms WHO names for faster shipment. For a practical checklist, see the medical mission trip supply checklist.
Common misunderstandings
- “A kit is a generic box.” The IEHK is modular and its units are requested in different quantities.
- “One kit serves any emergency.” WHO maintains separate kits for specific needs, such as cholera, trauma and measles.
- “Only governments buy these supplies.” WHO states that UN agencies, NGOs and national governments use its kits.
FAQ
What is humanitarian logistics?
It is the acquisition and delivery of relief supplies and services to emergency-affected populations where and when they are needed. In health, this is supported by standardised kits, prepositioned stock and long-term supplier agreements.
How do NGOs procure medical supplies?
Options documented by WHO and UNICEF include requesting a standard WHO kit (non-WHO entities contact WHO Procurement Services) and using UNICEF procurement services. The right route depends on the organisation and the supply need.
Sources
- World Health Organization, Emergency health kits, checked 2026-10-31.
- World Health Organization, Interagency Emergency Health Kit (IEHK 2024), checked 2026-10-31.
- UNICEF Supply Division, Procurement services, checked 2026-10-31.
