The following is excerpted from a 16 January 2012 announcement by the World Customs Organization.
With the increase in the number of natural disasters, Customs administrations have been called to react more efficiently and effectively, by applying modern procedures to facilitate the rapid entry, exit and transit of disaster relief consignments, including relief personnel, needed to assist victims.
As a concrete response, in June 2011, the World Customs Organization (WCO) adopted a coherent strategy, in the form of a Resolution with a set of practical recommendations for Customs on what to do in the event of a natural disaster to speed up the clearance and release of relief consignments at borders.
This announcement is available on the WCO website at:
http://www.wcoomd.org/announcements/default.aspx?lid=1&id=252