Meet the heroes powering our emergency response
16 November 2023 – I am Nevien Attalla, and I serve as Operations Manager at the WHO logistics hub in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. My background in pharmacy has facilitated my career journey and contributed significantly to humanitarian efforts. I had been a microbiological instructor to the retail field before joining the United Nations Humanitarian Response Depot in 2012, where I found my true passion in humanitarian response. In 2015, the WHO logistics hub in Dubai was established, and it has since provided me with many valuable experiences in the humanitarian sector.
Humanitarian work, by its nature, often involves working in a challenging and unpredictable environment, especially in a world fraught with natural disasters, conflicts and disease outbreaks. Managing the pharmaceutical supply in a humanitarian setting presents an immense number of unique challenges, starting from sourcing items from limited suppliers and maintaining the proper storage conditions and temperature control for every item. Then come the challenges of optimizing pre-positioned order quantities while ensuring a healthy shelf life, ensuring quality assurance measures, and navigating the complex logistics associated with varying regulations in different countries.
The WHO logistics hub in Dubai brings hope to millions of people in need of health aid across all 6 WHO regions. I have learned valuable life lessons from being part of these operations, the latest of which was the prompt delivery of life-saving medicines to Al-Arish for their