By Sabine Wilke

March 2010

Standing in the middle of the dusty parking lot surrounded by huge trucks, you find yourself right in hustle and bustle of the logistics center supporting CARE's emergency response. Planes are roaring over the site every couple of minutes – Port-au-Prince's airport is only a couple of blocks away from the warehouse. And there is another particularity to this location: "We're right in the middle of the red zone," says Geoffroy Larde from the CARE logistics team. The warehouse borders on Cité Soleil, the infamous slum that has been neglected for years and has experienced severe damage from the January 12 earthquake.

Men are taking out boxes from a truck but suddenly one of the cardboard boxes rips at the bottom. Out falls a huge stack of clothing relief items that have to be quickly picked up and stored again. Time is money around here. Trucks are bringing in new items around the clock. The team has to make sure they are safely stored and then loaded onto the trucks going to the different distribution sites. With distributions accurately organized to reach the most vulnerable, it is crucial to deliver the precise amount of relief items expected by the distribution team on the ground. One can only imagine the disappointment if a woman has to return empty-handed even though she has been given a coupon for a mattress, a hygiene kit or another item that would make her family's life easier.

Luckily, the logistics operation runs smoothly and professionally. Around 50 people are employed in the warehouse, and in line with CARE's mission to empower women, a female staff member heads the team. Patricia Louis is 31-year-old and, at first sight, her petite frame seems quite out of place in this manly environment of muscles and machines. But you quickly let go of this thought once she starts talking. "I've been working with CARE for three years now and used to be responsible for our inventory in the office."

Now she's got a desk in the middle of the enormous warehouse and her task is to make sure that everything coming in and out is being registered and accounted for. In these physically-challenging surroundings, is it tough to be a woman leader? Patricia shakes her head firmly, "No, once you've got the leadership spirit, it does not matter where you exercise it. I am used to giving orders now and leading a team. That's nothing new to me."

It's already reached 104 degrees Fahrenheit under the roof of the warehouse, and getting hotter. Geoffroy takes off his cap and wipes away the sweat on his forehead. He has seen it all: Congo, Timor Leste and now Haiti. And he's chosen logistics for a reason. "I have managed projects and done other assignments in the past. But with logistics, you know ... I just love it. You see the immediate effects and it's always moving. Everything here is constantly on the move." Just like him.

It's exhilarating to watch Geoffroy on the job. He is everywhere, running around the warehouse or the office, constantly talking on the phone and dealing with the small and big emergencies that are coming up. This job certainly doesn't get boring – neither does the management of the warehouse, he explains, "It never looks the same. You look around in the morning and there might be hygiene kits, blankets and plastic sheeting stacked up to the ceiling. At night, everything has revolved – the items have long been distributed and new goods have come in."

The interior of the warehouse is filled with items whose value easily adds up to the sum of $1 million. Needless to say, security is a major concern here. It was especially tough in the first couple of weeks after the earthquake when people were desperate to get their hands on anything that would help. So CARE is reaching out to the local population to make sure that they also benefit from the emergency operation. Just behind the warehouse is an open space that the local population has been using as a dump. The smell is excruciating and it is shocking to see that there are even a few makeshift shelters here and there and children running around. "We will be setting up toilets here and distributing kitchen sets in the neighborhood," explains Geoffroy.

He contemplates the role of logistics in the emergency response while walking through the warehouse and checking the different stacks. "We are always serving people. The downside is that we are not present at the distribution sites, so you don't get immediate feedback. Our job is hidden, but I still think it's highly rewarding."

So you could say that logistics are the heart of the operation? Geoffroy laughs and rectifies the phrase modestly, "No, we are in the heart of the operation. That's a difference. But I am really proud of my team. They are doing an incredible job." And then he's off again, continuing his tour around the warehouse.

Kids strolling around the site bordering the warehouse. The rubble and garbage are major hygiene concerns (Photo: 2010 Mildrède Béliard/CARE)

Geoffroy Larde, CARE logistics expert, in action (Photo: 2010 Sabine Wilke/CARE)

Mildrède Béliard, CARE media officer in Haiti, talks to workers employed in the CARE warehouse. One of the young men in the photo said he liked serving his country but it's also crucial for him and his family to earn money (Photo: 2010 Sabine Wilke/CARE)

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• Read more about CARE's emergency response in Haiti.