Transcript HUMANITARIAN LOGISTICS IN DISASTER RELIEF OPERATIONS

Managing humanitarian logistics
Gyöngyi Kovács
Erkko Professor in Humanitarian Logistics
Director of the Humanitarian Logistics and Supply Chain
Research Institute (HUMLOG Institute)
HUMLOG Institute
”Each disaster is unique” – is it?
» Why prepare for specific types of disasters?
» Early warning systems depend on types of disasters
» Evacuation plans depend on the types
» Reoccurring events
=> Impacts on evacuation routes, facility location…
» But – there are also commonalities among disasters
1. Commonalities in impact: dilapidated transport infrastructure,
affected people, psychological impact…
2. Commonalities in needs: basic needs are the same, priorities (water,
food, shelter) are the same
=> Commonalities in logistical preparedness – what to preposition
HUMLOG Institute
Management locally
» Locally, the typical disaster profile is known and can be
prepared for <=> learning from past events
» Cyclical disasters - cyclones, hurricanes, monsoon seasons, snowmelt floods, even earthquakes
» Regional disaster profile – from avalanches to pandemics
» Local/regional preparedness vs. prevention
» Prevention of the disaster, e.g. pandemics
» Prevention of the impact, e.g. building codes and permits
» Preparedness of the local community – community resilience,
poverty reduction
» Preparedness in the supply chain – framework contracts, VMI, prepositioned stock…
HUMLOG Institute
Managing humanitarian
logistics
» The typical logistics management principles apply
» From VMI to consolidation, supply chain visibility
» BUT: there is no time to collect data to run complex models in the
immediate aftermaths of a disaster
» The challenge is to…
» Rapidly assess the needs on the ground and establish access – partly
done through the local chapters of international organisations that are
embedded in local society
» Integrate the humanitarian supply chain in public systems to
facilitate surge models in e.g. health care, school feeding…
» Integrate communities and local business in humanitarian supply
chains
» Achieve supply chain visibility in and across supply chains
HUMLOG Institute
Further information:
HUMLOG Institute:
www.hanken.fi/humloginstitute
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Gyöngyi Kovács ([email protected])
HUMLOG Institute