The Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) is strengthening Malaysia’s position in the global humanitarian procurement market by connecting Malaysian companies with leading international humanitarian organisations through dedicated business matching programmes.
The initiative, undertaken in collaboration with the World Food Programme’s United Nations Humanitarian Response Depot (UNHRD) Kuala Lumpur and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) Asia Pacific Regional Office, is designed to position Malaysian businesses as trusted suppliers within global humanitarian supply chains while unlocking new export opportunities in an expanding international market.
Equipping Malaysian Businesses for Humanitarian Procurement
The programme officially commenced with the “Bridging Business and Humanity: Opportunities for Malaysian Suppliers in Humanitarian Response” webinar, which provided Malaysian companies with practical insights into humanitarian procurement requirements, supplier registration procedures and business opportunities with international humanitarian organisations.
The webinar forms part of MATRADE’s broader efforts to help Malaysian exporters understand the standards and processes required to participate in humanitarian procurement while strengthening their competitiveness in international markets.
Meeting Growing Global Humanitarian Demand
As humanitarian crises continue to increase in frequency and complexity due to natural disasters, armed conflicts, public health emergencies and climate-related events, international humanitarian organisations are placing greater emphasis on building resilient, diversified and regionally integrated supply chains.
This evolving procurement landscape presents significant opportunities for Malaysian companies to supply high-quality products and services while supporting humanitarian relief efforts worldwide.
MATRADE Chief Executive Officer, Mr Abu Bakar Yusof, said global humanitarian procurement offers Malaysian exporters a strategic avenue to diversify their export markets while contributing to humanitarian missions around the world.
“Global humanitarian procurement presents a strategic avenue for Malaysian companies to diversify their export markets while contributing to humanitarian missions worldwide. By meeting international procurement standards, our exporters can position themselves as trusted partners in delivering critical relief supplies and essential humanitarian solutions to communities affected by crises around the world.”
International Sourcing Programme to Drive Business Connections
As the next phase of the initiative, MATRADE will organise a dedicated International Sourcing Programme (INSP) in collaboration with UNHRD Kuala Lumpur and the IFRC Asia Pacific Regional Office from July to December 2026.
The programme will feature a series of targeted business-to-business (B2B) meetings between Malaysian companies and international humanitarian procurement agencies. These engagements will enable participating exporters to showcase their products, better understand procurement specifications and establish direct commercial relationships with institutional buyers.
Initial sourcing activities will focus on essential humanitarian products, including:
- Hygiene kits
- Family kits
- Kitchen sets
- Emergency relief supplies
Humanitarian Readiness & Supplies Expo to Strengthen Industry Engagement
Mr Abu Bakar also welcomed the upcoming Humanitarian Readiness & Supplies Expo, which will be held at UNHRD Kuala Lumpur on 22 July 2026.
The expo is expected to provide Malaysian companies with valuable exposure to humanitarian supply chain operations while facilitating direct engagement with humanitarian organisations and procurement agencies, including UNHRD and IFRC.
Strengthening Malaysia’s Global Humanitarian Supply Chain Presence
MATRADE will continue leveraging its global network of overseas offices to identify humanitarian procurement opportunities, facilitate business linkages with international humanitarian organisations and provide market intelligence, business matching, trade facilitation and export advisory services.
These efforts are intended to strengthen Malaysian companies’ participation in global humanitarian supply chains while expanding their international market reach.
The humanitarian supply chain reprofiling initiative is supported through a strategic partnership involving MATRADE, the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF), the Ministry of Finance (MOF), UNHRD Kuala Lumpur and the IFRC Asia Pacific Regional Office.
The collaboration reflects Malaysia’s commitment to strengthening its role as a trusted partner in global humanitarian preparedness and emergency response.
MATRADE is confident that the “Bridging Business and Humanity” initiative will serve as a catalyst for expanding Malaysia’s participation in global humanitarian supply chains while reinforcing the country’s reputation as a reliable supplier of quality humanitarian products and solutions.
