Ernest Halilov 
Multi-linguist Ernest Halilov is a senior logistician with GOAL; he is fluent in Russian, Turkish and English.
A former professional sportsman who was forced to retire early due to injury, Ernest has played a lead role in co-ordinating GOAL’s logistics in numerous developing countries, including Sudan, Pakistan, Ethiopia, Sudan, Niger, Sri Lanka, Turkmenistan, Kenya, Afghanistan and Haiti.
Ernest was at the heart of GOAL operations after the earthquakes in northern Pakistan in 2005 and Haiti in 2010, when humanitarian agencies were faced with massive logistical challenges.
Of the devastation in Pakistan in the aftermath of the 2005 disaster, Ernest said, “Three million people were homeless in a mountainous area, infrastructure was obliterated, and winter was coming. We had to procure transport, and deliver thousands of tents, blankets, shelter kits, and tarpaulins, over difficult terrain in a short period of time. It was round-the-clock, challenging and exhausting work, but very rewarding.”
He expanded on the nature of logistics, particularly in a disaster situation, “Each disaster is of course a massive challenge, but each is very different in terms of what precisely is required. And that is aside from the marked differences in language, culture, existing infrastructure, local capacity, security and politics. All of these things must be taken into account when establishing a good logistics operation in a country.”