Humanitarian Logistics in Disaster Relief Operations

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Background
Disaster Management and Life Cycle
Humanitarian Logistics Support and Response
Supply Chain Management
Discussion and Recommendations
Conclusion
References

Introduction

The rate of occurrence for natural and human-made disasters has exponentially increased over the last two decades, affecting millions of people and global businesses. It is estimated that the global economic impact of natural disasters could reach $335 annually by the year 2030 (Langham Logistics, 2017). The significant impact of disasters and following large-scale relief operations have highlighted the need for effective disaster preparedness regarding humanitarian and non-profit logistics. While the trend for disaster occurrence demonstrates upward growth, there has not been a commensurate response for adequate preparation.

A major concept is the supply chain response in case of natural disasters that must coordinate extensive operations and inventories over many locations, organizations, and stages of response. The increased level of uncertainty and adverse environments creates key challenges for supply chain management in humanitarian relief operations which must consider a variety of risks when organizing the distribution of aid and inventory to affected areas. This report will investigate the complex process of humanitarian logistics in disaster relief operations.

Background

A natural disaster is any adverse event from natural forces that results in damage, casualties, and disruption of normal life and functioning of society. Disasters cause a combination of physical, social, economic, and cultural impacts with high levels of life and property loss. A disaster occurs when a community is unable to adequately cope, respond, and adapt to the devastation, requiring external assistance. Disasters can be classified as either rapid onset events (storm or earthquake) or slow onset events (famine or epidemic).

Rapid onset natural disasters are most dangerous and devastating due to the difficulty of preparing for them and requiring a rapid and highly flexible response. Meanwhile, slow onset disasters require long-term aid and development in order to be mitigated (Koseoglu & Yildirim, 2015). These differences force disaster relief operations to be executed in accordance with the unique situations and requiring a significantly varying approach to management and logistics.

Disaster management is the process of planning for disasters, evaluating requirements, and assessing available resources. The primary objective disaster management is to reduce human, property, and economic loss in the affected area while alleviating the suffering of affected communities during the recovery and reconstruction processes. Logistics practices are vital in disaster management as system implementation is required to manage complex mechanisms required for the process. Aspects such as security, communication, shelter, sanitation, transportation, and health services must be established and delivered appropriately to the disaster-stricken communities. Information systems are critical in providing vital data, communication capabilities, and evaluation models (Koseoglu & Yildirim, 2015).

Humanitarian aid organizations follow principles of humanity, neutrality, and impartiality when conducting relief operations. This guides decision-making and activities when organizations engage to provide humanitarian aid.

Humanitarian logistics encompasses the process of efficient response to disasters through various actions in rapidly destabilizing environments. Unlike business logistics which are profit-based, humanitarian operations are focused on providing aid to the victims and areas affected by natural disaster to ensure their survival and recovery. The primary objective of humanitarian logistics is to design a system of aid which provides material, food, equipment, and rescue services from supply points to destinations throughout the disaster-affected region (Maether, 2010).

Disaster Management and Life Cycle

Disaster management is the complex process of reducing and mitigating effects of disasters by evading and addressing risks. It is a daunting task considering that any area on the planet is vulnerable to the disaster which can have devastating impacts. To limit the adverse consequences of disasters, a competent approach to planning and response is required. Disaster management is a cyclic process which adheres to specific stages that may occur sequentially or simultaneously, thus requiring a flexible but thorough management plan which guides all logistical contexts. The disaster management stages are preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation (Shahzadi, 2013).

Preparedness is the most critical logistical stage in disaster management. It includes an assessment of vulnerabilities, creating emergency situation plans, coordination of response structures and mechanisms, and conducting training. This stage allows for procurement and pre-positioning of aid materials in strategic locations as well as establishing an early warning and communication system.

Pre-positioning of fundamental aid supplies in secure locations is critical to provide initial relief and support for response organizations while local suppliers and international markets recover and reestablish shipments. Organizations such as the Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders have pre-positioned warehouses throughout the globe as well as pre-existing contracts with vendors and suppliers that can be implemented in case of disasters, avoiding costly and timely negotiations (Koseoglu & Yildirim, 2015).

The response stage that begins with the occurrence of the disaster is the primary time of logistics utilization. This includes the effectiveness of rescue efforts which is dependent on the distribution of aid, personnel availability, and equipment transport.

Rapid speed and efficiency are of critical importance. The last stages of recovery and restoration are prolonged, aimed at normalization of social functions within the community and reconstruction of damaged property. Infrastructure restoration, provision of jobs, and restoration of educational and government services are encompassed in this phase. The stage may take years and requires significant logistics inputs, ranging from stabilizing supply and material delivery to reestablishing socio-economic exchange and services (Koseoglu & Yildirim, 2015).

Humanitarian Logistics Support and Response

Humanitarian logistics follows a specific relief chain structure. Aid is delivered over a variety of distances, ranging from long (up to 3000km) to short trips (approximately 100km). Supplies are positioned in warehouse stocks, donation centers, or products from suppliers. These are then shipped to a primary warehouse located near a sea or airport in the region affected by the disaster. Supplies are then transported to a supply center located in a major city of the destination country. Items are sorted, stored, and consolidated to local distribution centers known as tertiary hubs where they eventually reach the beneficiaries (Maether, 2010).

The humanitarian logistics process follows three primary stages: assessment, procurement of relief goods, and transportation. Assessment occurs in the initial 24 hours of the disaster, evaluating the extent of aid required and supplies necessary to provide water, food, sanitation, and health care to the population. Procurement is the process of appealing for funding and donations. Mobilization directly depends on donors to provide money for relief operations and supplies.

Meanwhile, logisticians begin to create plans for collection and delivery of supplies from pre-positioned warehouses. Transportation is the shipment of critical relief supplies the disaster-affected region. This stage is strongly logistical as well, dependent on the transportation assets available and the existence of pre-negotiated contracts (Maether, 2010).

Despite emergency logistics consisting of a combination of supply, materials management, and distribution, it is an inherently complex and most vital component of relief operations. The basis of logistics support is the transfer of goods and equipment to disaster-affected areas. However, this requires the significant organization to arrange a large number of people and supplies to ensure this delivery. The logistics operations of location, transportation, distribution, and warehouses are interconnected.

During the disaster response, it can be difficult to execute logistical chains as local support resources become unavailable. Logistics support must be inherently reorganized with severe limitations to assess for damage to infrastructure, administrative factors, and security. Key elements in logistics management are a rapid response, sustenance support, transport, coordination, understanding environments, continuous communication, packaging, and protection of provisions, security, and protection of backup stocks (Shahzadi, 2013).

A humanitarian supply chain interconnects a wide variety of stakeholders. These can include governments, non-profit organizations, donors, international relief organizations, and corporations. The key is to deliver the proper relief aid to needing populations with competent quality and in a timely manner. In order to optimize logistics performance, it is necessary that all involved actors are managed through an integrated approach that focuses on efficiency. Through effective coordination of inter-organizational performance and eliminating any redundancies in the emergency supply chain, efficiency can be maximized (Cozzolino, 2012).

Challenges

Humanitarian response logistics is an inherently challenging concept due to the instability and unpredictability of natural disasters. One of the biggest issues is scale, as disasters affect large geographical areas and numerous human inhabited localities. Logistics are faced with extensive demand assessment which is burdened with complexity to determine the appropriate response and aid delivery.

The critical time requirement and rapid decision-making contribute to the challenge as any delays may lead to consequences. The objective of humanitarian logistics is to primary save lives which may clash with local expectations of reducing costs and increasing profit. Therefore, the difficult decisions have to be made amongst increased demand in a scenario of scarce available resources. Finally, coordinating responses which encompass a large number of involved parties to ensure that there is no disaster propagation caused by confusion (Jiang, Yuan, Huang, & Zhao, 2012).

Supply Chain Management

It is necessary to develop an integrated and scalable supply system for the purpose of providing support and efficiency to large-scale disaster response operations. This becomes the fundamental purpose of supply chain management which focuses on integrating supply and demand across a variety of suppliers (Young & Peterson, 2014). Recognizing the primary approaches to supplier evaluation is critical.

A process-based approach focuses on assessing the service and production capabilities that the supplier can offer in its manufacturing process. A performance-based approach evaluates the actual performance characteristics using a wide variety of criteria such as cost and quality.

Humanitarian supply chains are similar to commercial companies in their stages which involve preparation, planning, procurement, transportation, storage, tracking, and customs clearance (Costa, Campos, & Bandeira, 2012). However, unlike businesses, the consumer in humanitarian aid does not participate in business decisions and has little influence over the supply. Humanitarian supply chains must be flexible and rapidly respond to unpredictable events under the pressure of significant budget constraints. The supply chain follows a generic model of a unidirectional flow of goods to disaster-stricken areas.

Supply chains face difficulties on both sides of the chain. It is a challenge to establish a stable flow of supplies and donations in a timely manner with minimal waste. Meanwhile, on the receiving end, there are numerous administrative and logistical bottlenecks such as lack of infrastructure and bureaucracy of receiving organizations and governments (Costa et al., 2012).

The key aspects of humanitarian supply chains are transport, storage, and distribution. Transport requires the availability of transportation resources and infrastructure by various means including water, air, and the road which can be mobilized in a short period of time. The best mode of delivery is determined to determine the most efficient shipment and distribution strategy, as well as logistical support.

Storage and handling is a critical aspect which represents the points where goods are received for distribution. Warehouses and storage represent a link the supply chain system that organizes goods and stores them until the necessity arrives. Goods are stored, handled, screened, discharged, and shipped. Supply chains must pass customs clearance and avoid congestion at entry points. Potential points of storage can include warehouses under the ownership of government and non-profit organizations which have necessary handling equipment that is able to be mobilized rapidly.

Finally, the last part of the supply chain is a distribution which delivers goods at accessible points to the community. An effective distribution program collects data on safe distributing centers, the capability to deliver the goods, and ensures open access for the population (Costa et al., 2012).

Logistics management is an inherent part of supply chain management that coordinates a wide range of suppliers and organizations. Global supply chains is a complex context, including a variety of cultural, economic, technological, political, spatial, and logistical differences. Therefore, global supply chains face certain challenges. Humanitarian logistics and supply chains have an integral relationship with the perpetuating strive for effectiveness.

Efficiency guarantees saved time that ultimately results in more lives saved and a greater area receiving critical humanitarian aid. Each stage of the disaster relief process benefits from efficient supply-chain operations that results in an agile and leaner system that is able to adapt and design processes for recovery (Cozzolino, 2012).

The ultimate goal of humanitarian logisticians is to create a supply chain that possesses agility, adaptability, and alignment. Agility is the speed of response, the focus to rapidly manage supply and demand chains in accordance to short time cycles and constraints present in a natural disaster. Adaptability is the ability to modify supply chain designs to accommodate changing markets and environments. Meanwhile, alignment is ensuring that interests for relevant stakeholders are united regarding objectives and incentives (Maether, 2010).

Discussion and Recommendations

In terms of supply chain, disasters inadvertently mutually impact global logistics. Not only are global supply chains necessary for delivery of aid, but many executives believe that they play a crucial role in environmental sustainability. Furthermore, natural disasters disrupt not only local supply and distribution networks, but often impact long-distance supply chains passing through the area.

For example, the disastrous earthquake that affected Japan in 2011 affected distribution throughout the world as companies relying on parts from Japanese manufacturers, causing factory shutdowns in the US and Europe. Supply chain companies focused on addressing interruptions due to any said disaster would not have the resources to direct towards providing aid. They can ensure stability by diversifying sources of delivery. This would establish supply centers throughout geographical regions and help lead relief efforts through cultivated relationships with NGOs.

Historically, businesses have played significant roles in disaster recovery and prevention the loss of life by offering extensive resources such as transportation vehicles and warehouse facilities already incorporated in complex supply chains. It can be crucial for humanitarian logistics to take an example from the private sector. There, each individual stage of the serial system within a supply chain operates with a base stock policy. Therefore, the safety stock allows to maintain inventory at strategic locations within the supply chain and separates various stages. The independence inherently minimizes the need for communication and coordination that can be disrupted by natural disasters and allows it to continue functioning with the safety stock (Close, 2018).

A potential solution and supporting tool for humanitarian logistics are using innovative geospatial technology. It has a wide variety of capabilities including assembling and visualization of topographical maps, evaluation of locations for flooding and landslides, and recognizing airspace hazards that can deter air services. Organizations can utilize this for management and vital decision-making regarding planning, monitoring, and mitigation of disaster relief operations. The important information is able to provide visual analysis to coordinate disaster preparedness and response.

This is done through directing aid delivery routes which are safe and efficient, avoiding further loss of life and property. It can help evaluate climatic conditions, availability of infrastructure, and potential risks to any operations. However, the technology is still being optimized to collect relevant data accurately and to have the ability for integration with logistics support and disaster management (Shahzadi, 2013).

Conclusion

In the age of increasing climate change that leads to more common and devastating natural disasters, disaster relief operations must provide a rapid and flexible response. This is possible through disaster management in humanitarian logistics which provides logistical support and supply chains that can ensure preparedness and optimize delivery of aid to affected areas. The complexity and challenges of the global humanitarian supply chains are paramount.

However, the system is evolving by introducing cooperation with the private sector and introducing innovative technologies as well as efficient supply chain planning to address common issues. A focus on continuously improving logistical processes in humanitarian operations will enhance the quality and speed of disaster relief operations that will save lives and prevent property loss.

References

Close, L. (2018). Logistics of natural disasters: Preparation and recovery in the age of climate change. Boss Magazine. Web.

Costa, S. R., Campos, V. B., & Bandeira, R. A. (2012). Supply chains in humanitarian operations: Cases and analysis. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 54, 598-607. Web.

Cozzolino, A. (2012). Humanitarian logistics: Cross-sector cooperation in disaster relief management. Berlin, Germany: Springer.

Jiang, Y., Yuan, Y., Huang, K., & Zhao, L. (2012). Logistics for large-scale disaster response: Achievements and challenges. In 2012 45th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (pp. 1277-1285). Washington, DC: IEEE Computer Society. Web.

Koseoglu, A. M., & Yildirim, H. (2015). The role of logistics in disaster management and disaster logistics issues. Journal of Teaching and Education, 4(3), 377-388.

Langham Logistics. (2017). Is your supply chain ready for natural disasters? Web.

Maether, J. (2010). The role of global logistics companies in disaster relief efforts: An investigation and critical success factors and cross-sector collaborations. Web.

Shahzadi, A. (2013). Logistics support and its management during disaster relief operations. International Journal of Scientific Footprints, 1(1), 1-12.

Young, R. R., & Peterson, M. R. (2014). Emergency management logistics must become emergency supply chain management. Journal of Emergency Management, 12(2), 171-187. Web.

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