Panama’s new Regional Logistics Centre for Humanitarian Assistance, or ‘Humanitarian Hub,’ was officially inaugurated this week by Panama’s President Juan Carlos Varela, at a ceremony also attended by Vice-President and Chancellor Isabel de Saint Malo de Alvarado, and other key government officials.

“Through the Humanitarian Hub, we seek to bring together the will of the countries and of the peoples with the logistics, so that aid arrives with transparency and in an effective way to people affected,” said President Varela.

The Humanitarian Hub will help improve the capacity of governments and international agencies to respond efficiently to natural disasters and other events that require humanitarian support across Latin America and the Caribbean. The Hub will provide a space for aid workers, humanitarian agencies and institutions, as well as international and national organizations, to converge and work towards greater resilience in the region.

“Through this project, we are helping to improve the effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability of logistics and humanitarian operations throughout the region," said UNOPS Director of Latin America and the Caribbean, Fabrizio Feliciani.

Located in the Panama Pacifico International Airport, the development of the Hub offers a model of integration of international sustainable design and construction standards, including environmental best practices.

“The role of UNOPS as a specialized agency that took care of everything regarding infrastructure — with transparency and agility — has been fundamental,” said Vice-President de Saint Malo de Alvarado.