OR/MS STUDIES ON POST-DISASTER STAGE RELIEF ITEM LOGISTICS: COMPLEMENTARY REVIEW

Abstract

This study aims to make a complementary review of recent relief item logisticsresearches on the post-disaster stage, trends and practical solutions on humanitarian supply chains (HSC) post-disaster stage, focusing on gaps and future research directions.The paper provides a definition of HSC and its stages; emphasizes its difference from a commercial supply chain; then continues with a presentation of a post-disaster HSC map. Then, based on an updating literature review and evaluation of ongoing studies, concludes with main findings and gaps, and suggestions about future research directions. The article serves as an update on previous literature reviews in humanitarian logistics. Our analysis shows that there are still considerable gaps in practical applications; in the incorporation of vulnerability and safety aspects of relief item distribution such as robbery and despoliation; in the effects of dynamic road availability updates; in multi-period, multi-level, and multi-objective relief item distribution; in the considerations of social costs; in the incorporation of human behavior; and in the needs of cross-services.

Keywords

• Relief item distribution management
• Disaster management
• Disaster-relief supply chain
• Humanitarian supply chain
• Humanitarian logistics
• Uncertainty in disaster management