On the unique features of post‐disaster humanitarian logistics

Abstract

Logistic activity can be thought of as a socio‐technical process whereby a social network of individuals orchestrates a series of technical activities using supporting systems such as transportation and communications. To understand the functioning of the entire system requires proper consideration of all its components. We identify seven key components: the objectives being pursued, the origin of the commodity flows to be transported, knowledge of demand, the decision‐making structure, periodicity and volume of logistic activities, and the state of the social networks and supporting systems. Based on our analysis of the differences between commercial and humanitarian logistics, we pinpoint research gaps that need to be filled to enhance both the efficiency of humanitarian logistics and the realism of the mathematical models designed to support it. We argue that humanitarian logistics is too broad a field to fit neatly into a single definition of operational conditions. At one end of the spectrum we find humanitarian logistic efforts of the kind conducted in long‐term disaster recovery and humanitarian assistance, where operational efficiency – akin to commercial logistics – is a prime consideration. At the other, post‐disaster humanitarian logistic operations involved in disaster response and short‐term recovery activities represent a vastly different operational environment, often in chaotic settings where urgent needs, life‐or‐death decisions and scarce resources are the norm. The huge contrast between these operational environments requires that they be treated separately.

Relief distribution networks: a systematic review

“…Many authors have acknowledged that the particularities of the emergency management context bring on some new challenges, especially in regards to logistics optimization (Holguín-Veras et al 2012;Kovács & Spens 2007;Sheu 2007b;Van Wassenhove & Pedraza Martínez 2012). Very recently, Holguín-Veras et al (2012) published a paper on the unique features of post-disaster humanitarian interventions.…”

“…Very recently, Holguín-Veras et al (2012) published a paper on the unique features of post-disaster humanitarian interventions. Their work elaborates on the differences between interventions made during the immediate response to disasters, and those made in the recovery phase.…”

“…However, a large portion of the literature is devoted to the logistics aspects of the relief distribution. Holguín-Veras et al (2012) highlighted the urgency in understanding the workings of the relief distribution network in specific logistics' aspects, like the knowledge of demand, the considered objectives, the periodicity and the decision-making structure. Until now, these major differences had been neglected, and our work comes to support the analysis that researchers need to do in order to approach this complex problem.…”

“…Pioneer contributions in the field defined general response models, mostly within a multi-commodity network (Barbarosoǧlu & Arda 2004;Barbarosoǧlu et al 2002;Drezner 2004;Drezner et al 2005;Özdamar et al 2004;Viswanath & Peeta 2003;. Despite their efforts, it seems that most of these contributions did not focus adequately in the specific characteristics of humanitarian logistics like the knowledge of demand, the considered objectives, the periodicity and the decision-making structure (Holguín-Veras et al, 2012). Hopefully, our knowledge and comprehension level of humanitarian challenges increases and recent articles present more sophisticated models, which better suit the specific context and needs, especially in the case of transportation problems (Berkoune et al 2012;Gu 2011;Huang et al 2012;Lee et al 2009a;Lin et al 2012;Lin et al 2011;Murali et al 2012;).…”

A review of required features for a disaster response system on top of a multi-criteria decision: a Brazilian perspective

“…To meet the similar unknown demand disaster requirements, there are several external factors, such as security and politics, that influence and affect the response to an extreme event (Tomasini & Van Wassenhove, 2009). Holguín-Veras et al (2012) highlight that the problem generated by unsolicited and even unwanted gifts (e.g., drugs, foods past their expiration date) is considered the most significant obstacle to the disaster response phase, termed the "second disaster". The process of mitigating the uncertainties during the four phases (mitigation, preparation, response and recovery) of a disaster is a significant challenge in achieving a valid response, including: to prepare the environment for not known intensity of the event during the mitigation phase, the best pre-positioning of stocks during the preparation phase, the predictability of demand during the response phase and the duration of the social economic impacts during the recovery phase (Eckhardt & Leiras, 2015).…”