Humanitarian logistics

However, this definition focuses only on the physical flow of goods to final destinations, and in reality, humanitarian logistics is far more complicated and includes forecasting and optimizing resources, managing inventory, and exchanging information.

[2] This figure presents numerous important aspects in humanitarian logistics, including transport, inventory management, infrastructure, and communications.

First, humanitarian logistics contributes immensely to mitigating the negative impact of natural disasters in terms of loss of life and economic costs.

Logistics data reflects all aspects, from the effectiveness of suppliers and transportation providers, to the cost and timeliness of response, to the appropriateness of donated goods and the management of information.

When selecting an appropriate site to store goods, two considerations are important: A logistical technique which can improve responsiveness is inventory pre-positioning.

In humanitarian logistics, it is important to determine the feasibility of various forms of transport on the basis of the level of urgency, total costs, and geographical characteristics of affected zones.

Setting up a communication mechanism in geographies that are remote and devoid of internet or phone networks, implementing up-to-date information or tracking systems & using humanitarian logistics software which can provide real-time supply chain information, organizations can enhance decision making, increase the quickness of the relief operations and achieve better coordination of the relief effort.

There are four main developments in this field: bar codes, AMS laser cards, radio frequency tags & satellite based internet services.

They are attached to different types of vehicles, including pallets, trucks, vans, and large containers, to position the location of shipments en route.

[21] Adverse environmental impact can emanate from all the operations throughout the humanitarian supply chain including procurement, transportation, warehousing, delivery, and material waste.

Compared to commercial supply chains, addressing environmental issues is more challenging in humanitarian logistics due to volatile context and absence of basic infrastructure such as recycling facilities.

[22] However, several humanitarian organizations such as International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) have recently started to incorporate sustainability in their long-term strategy.