Located on the Pacific Ring of Fire and spread across sporadic islands, the ten member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are some of the most disaster-prone countries in the world. As disasters continue to increase in frequency and magnitude, it becomes tremendously challenging for governments to manage their national emergency responses effectively.

To strengthen ASEAN’s collective response to disasters, the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on disaster management (the AHA Centre) launched the Disaster Emergency Logistics System for ASEAN (DELSA) initiative as a collaborative platform for the ten member states.

To gain an insight into the AHA Centre disaster-response operations, HELP Logistics and Dr. Puthipong Julagasigorn, a researcher from the Thammasat Business School Humanitarian Logistics Research Team (HUMLOG), visited the satellite warehouse in the Chai Nat province of Thailand. As part of the DESLA initiative, the satellite warehouse plays a vital role in prepositioning relief items to increase the velocity and scale of mobilising relief items to the disaster-affected ASEAN member states.

During the visit, the team conducted an interactive game-based training session for the DELSA national logistics staff, utilizing HELP’s latest board game—Business on The Move: The Humanitarian Edition. The game emphasizes the importance of planning and coordination in disaster relief operations. It also introduces participants to various operational challenges that impact the effectiveness of aid delivery.

We extend our sincere gratitude to the AHA Centre and Saruda Ratchatachottanakorn for organizing our visit. A big thanks to Dr. Puthipong Julagasigorn, Professor Ruth Banomyong and all the Thammasat Business School staff for their support.