Malaysia’s Steadfast, Pivotal Role In Driving The IFRC's Global Disaster Response

By Wan Muhammad Aslah Wan Razali

PORT KLANG, April 24 (Bernama) -- When a powerful earthquake struck central Myanmar in March 2025, causing widespread destruction, it left thousands in urgent need of lifesaving assistance.

In disasters like these, survival is often decided in the first critical hours. What matters most is not just the scale of aid, but how quickly it reaches those affected.

Meanwhile, a warehouse near North Port Klang remains in constant readiness.

In the sprawling space, rows upon rows of meticulously labelled boxes and crates, packed with essentials such as blankets, jerry cans, tarpaulins and hygiene kits, are kept on standby, ready for immediate dispatch by air or sea at a moment’s notice when emergencies occur.

From here, these relief items can reach disaster zones in countries such as Myanmar, the Philippines, Bangladesh and Pakistan, among others, within 24 to 48 hours. 

The facility, operated 24/7 by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), is one of the organisation’s key humanitarian logistics hubs, facilitating rapid disaster response and ensuring urgent aid reaches affected communities without delay.

Frontline In Global Response

Established in 2006 in the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the 32,000 square foot facility was designed to decentralise IFRC’s global relief operations and enable faster, more effective emergency responses to disaster- affected communities.

With a capacity to store an estimated 300 tonnes of essential humanitarian supplies, the warehouse is one of only two IFRC regional facilities that supply relief goods to other nations. 

The other facility, in Brisbane, Australia, is smaller and focuses primarily on Oceanic countries, while the Malaysia hub covers a broader Asia-Pacific region.

Two decades on, the warehouse has quietly become a cornerstone of the IFRC’s work in the region, as well as one of its most important strategic stockpiles. 

Today, it serves 38 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and has supported more than 550 emergencies worldwide, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2022 Pakistan floods, the 2023 Türkiye earthquake, and the 2025 Myanmar earthquake.

No headlines or fanfare – just a constant presence among the first to respond.

Malaysia’s Strategic Role

At the heart of its critical, life-saving operation is Malaysia’s vital support.

IFRC Asia Pacific Regional Head of Supply Chain Management Rishi Ramrakha said the country’s infrastructure, connectivity, and policies have enabled the IFRC to operate with speed and efficiency.

"The cost to do business in Malaysia is slightly cheaper than in other port cities like Thailand, Hong Kong, or Shanghai. But another major factor is our good relationship with the government. 

“They (Malaysian Government) give us privileges and exemptions on holding this stock, where it's exempted from duties and taxes”, he told BERNAMA in an exclusive interview at the warehouse, here, recently. 

As one of the major logistics hubs in the Asia Pacific, Port Klang’s strategic location along the Strait of Malacca, a crucial maritime route, together with Malaysia’s robust infrastructure and strong air connectivity, allows the IFRC to coordinate the rapid mobilisation of relief teams and supplies. 

"Thanks to the Malaysian government, we got a status agreement that allows us to operate as a regional body serving 38 national societies (in other countries) from Malaysia.

“This allows our personnel and supplies to move quickly across the region through direct flight connections,” he said. 

He added that this setup ensures essential non-food items such as tents, blankets, tarpaulins and hygiene kits can be delivered swiftly to affected areas, regardless of regional complexities.

The Last-Mile Challenge

When a crisis hits, whether it is an earthquake in Nepal, a typhoon in the Philippines, or devastating floods in Bangladesh, IFRC’s Kuala Lumpur-based team organises packing lists, secures documentation, and stands ready to dispatch aid.

However, the challenge does not end once the supplies leave Malaysia.

In a complex geopolitical landscape, where border disputes and political ideology can stall lifesaving aid, Ramrakha said that gaining entry into a disaster-stricken country often requires complex diplomatic manoeuvring guided by International Disaster Law.

He said IFRC also relies heavily on the organisation’s strict neutrality to secure access to the most vulnerable communities safely.

“Getting that exemption on duties and taxes, and the agreement to land international supplies, can take three to five days," he said, noting that governments must officially decree an international emergency before the goods can cross the border. 

Once on the ground, he said local National Societies take over "last-mile planning", negotiating directly with local authorities or, in some cases, warring factions, underscoring the importance of IFRC staff fully understanding local contexts and political dynamics in high-risk areas.

Increasingly Complex Crisis Environment

As crises become more protracted due to climate change, natural disasters such as floods increasingly overlap with health emergencies like dengue fever outbreaks, making humanitarian responses more complex.

To address this rising complexity, Ramrakha noted the IFRC relies heavily on forecast-based funding.

By predicting where a climate-driven crisis, like a severe heatwave or cyclone, might strike next, they can pre-purchase and rotate their standard stockpiles, which are primarily sourced from China, Vietnam, and India.

"When we invest in preparedness, for every dollar we invest, we save around seven during the response," he said. 

He added that the Malaysian hub helps prevent the waste of global aid funds by upholding stringent warehouse procedures, including the rotation of highly perishable goods such as insecticide-treated mosquito nets and hygiene kits.

The warehouse is also required to conduct its own quality control sampling of each type of perishable goods to ensure the durability and suitability of the items for deployment in humanitarian missions.

A Global Lifeline

Although the warehouse's main focus is the Asia Pacific region, it often takes on a global role, repeatedly supporting large-scale humanitarian operations, including responses in Haiti, Ukraine, and the 2023 Türkiye-Syria earthquakes.

Crucially, the Malaysian hub also acts as a backup for the broader West Asia and North Africa region.

"It's not just for Malaysia or Asia. It's a global stockpile. We do cross-regional support. For instance, about a year ago, when the Dubai warehouse ran out of stocks, items were moved from here up into Syria and Palestine to fill the gap,” said Ramrakha.

Meanwhile, Ramrakha also clarified the distinct roles within the broader Red Cross network. 

He said while the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is tasked with supporting countries facing civil conflict and war, the IFRC focuses strictly on natural disasters, providing a platform for 191 Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies globally to build their disaster response capabilities.

However, he noted that the lines between conflict and natural disasters often blur, requiring close cooperation between the two branches.

"We work together. So in the event that they need stock, they can borrow from me, and if I need stock, I can borrow from them. 

“In some contexts, we'll have a natural disaster in a conflict country, so then we do have to agree on how we would work together in such settings,” he explained.

-- BERNAMA