How Modular Warehouses Enable Pre-Positioning in Eastern DRC

In April 2026, OCHA confirmed what field teams in eastern DRC already knew: the humanitarian community is facing a critical funding gap and is being forced to strictly prioritise its response. With 14.9 million people requiring humanitarian assistance, an active M23 conflict zone, and the country's worst cholera outbreak in 25 years, the margin for supply chain inefficiency has disappeared entirely. For logistics and supply chain managers planning or scaling operations in the Great Lakes region, the question is no longer whether to pre-position — it is how to do it rapidly, with the infrastructure that actually survives the environment.

Why Pre-Positioning Is No Longer Optional in Eastern DRC

The DRC crisis has fundamentally changed the operational calculus for humanitarian organisations. By early 2026, M23 forces had captured Goma and Bukavu — the two primary logistics hubs for eastern DRC — triggering mass displacement and severing established supply lines. UNICEF reported that clean water access in Goma had collapsed, with residents being forced to source water from Lake Kivu. The conditions that allow a programme to rely on just-in-time resupply from Kinshasa or Nairobi have ceased to exist in large parts of Sud-Kivu and Nord-Kivu.

The collapse of USAID-funded supply pipelines has compounded the pressure. Following the cancellation of roughly 83% of USAID grants in 2025, organisations that previously relied on US-funded supply chains are now rebuilding procurement arrangements from the ground up. The common thread in how INGOs and UN agencies are responding is the same: build pre-positioned, regionally-embedded supply capacity before the next escalation, not after it. That means contracted local suppliers, pre-negotiated delivery frameworks — and deployable field storage that can be standing in days.

A modular warehouse solves the last problem. Unlike a permanent structure, a flat-pack field store can be transported to site in standard ISO containers, assembled with basic tools and local labour, and operational within days of arrival. For an organisation that cannot predict exactly where it will need a forward store six months from now, this is not a preference — it is a requirement.

What Modular Field Storage Looks Like in Practice

Hallgruppen modular warehouses — the system we supply and support as an authorised distributor — are designed specifically for this kind of deployment. The aluminium-framed structures flat-pack into standard 20ft or 40ft ISO containers, which means they move on the same trucks and aircraft already carrying programme supplies. The aluminium frame keeps total freight weight around 30% lower than equivalent steel-framed systems, which matters enormously when you are paying for air cargo into Goma or trucking through the eastern corridor.

On-site assembly does not require specialist construction teams. Hallgruppen structures are designed to be erected by local labour under basic supervision, with standard hand tools. A competent crew working a full day can have a functional storage unit standing. For organisations working with rotating field staff and limited technical capacity in-country, this is a critical operational advantage over prefabricated structures that require welding equipment or a concrete foundation pour.

The systems are also modular in the literal sense: units can be expanded laterally as programme needs grow, or disassembled and redeployed to a new site as the operational footprint shifts. In a conflict-affected environment where programme geography can change rapidly — as it has across eastern DRC — this redeployability is a significant asset that a permanent structure simply cannot offer. You can see the full range of options on our modular warehouse page.

The Pre-Positioning Case: How to Think About Placement

For organisations scaling up in the Great Lakes region, the most effective pre-positioning strategies in 2026 are being built around two principles: geographic redundancy and forward-staging. Geographic redundancy means maintaining storage capacity at more than one node in the supply chain — so that when one route or hub is cut off (as happened with Goma), the programme does not stop. Forward-staging means positioning stock as close to probable distribution points as operations security allows, reducing last-mile exposure during active emergencies.

In practice, this often means a primary hub in Kampala or Nairobi, a secondary store in Juba or Bunia, and mobile or modular forward stores at the programme delivery layer. We operate across this corridor and have experience supporting NGO teams planning storage configurations that balance security constraints, access, and cold-chain or climate requirements. Our Kampala office provides direct reach into eastern DRC, Uganda, and South Sudan — without routing through international freight hubs that add both cost and lead time.

For organisations with existing permanent storage in Kinshasa or western DRC, the modular system is a complement, not a replacement. A 60–120 sqm flat-pack store at a forward site, pre-stocked with WASH consumables, NFIs, or medical supplies, bridges the gap between your central warehouse and your final distribution points in ways that no freight agreement alone can achieve. Our case studies section documents how similar pre-positioning configurations have been structured for other field operations in the region.

What to Plan for Before You Deploy

Modular warehouses solve the physical storage problem, but effective pre-positioning requires planning across several dimensions simultaneously. Site selection matters enormously: the structure needs a reasonably level ground surface, access for a truck or container drop, and clearance for assembly. In flood-prone areas — which describes most of eastern DRC during the rainy season — elevated flooring or a compacted gravel base is advisable. Hallgruppen units can be fitted with insulated panels and ventilation for temperature-sensitive stocks; this should be specified at the procurement stage, not retrofitted later.

Security is a second planning layer. A field store that attracts looting or cannot be safely staffed is not a logistical asset — it is a liability. Modular structures can be fitted with reinforced doors, perimeter fencing, and external lighting, and Hallgruppen's systems include these accessories within their standard catalogue. Organisations should also plan for a minimum caretaker and stock-management presence from day one: a warehouse without basic inventory control quickly becomes an inventory problem.

Finally, consider the procurement lead time. Hallgruppen units ship from stock in most standard configurations, but delivery to a remote field site in eastern DRC — routing via Mombasa, Kampala, or by air into Goma — takes planning. The organisations that had pre-positioned storage in place when Goma fell in early 2025 were the ones that had ordered twelve to sixteen weeks earlier. If your programme anticipates a scale-up in eastern DRC or the Great Lakes region in the second half of 2026, now is the right time to begin that conversation. Contact SLS to discuss your field storage requirements, and we will work through site specifications, delivery routing, and configuration options with you.