Both APT and EAS allow the ASEAN community to reach assistance outside the
region. APT and EAS started out in the form of an informational dialogue on disaster
management. Recently, ASEAN attempts to further the coordination utilizing expertise
and resources from these partners to improve an infrastructure for regional disaster
management. The APT initiative takes into account the importance of supplying
necessities when disasters strike. The implementation of proper cargo management
either at the AHA center that administers and facilitates distribution or at the origin,
where it is more convenient to store and then disperse to affected countries is another
challenge to optimizing the utility of these collaborations. As described by the ASEAN
Secretariat: