Humanitarian logistics in disaster relief operations

TLDR

Humanitarian logistics lacks an overarching framework and has received limited academic attention. The study seeks to deepen understanding of planning and executing logistics operations in disaster relief. The authors conduct a topical literature review of academic and practitioner journals. The study presents a framework that delineates actors, phases, and processes of disaster relief logistics, identifies its unique characteristics, establishes a research agenda, and offers practitioners a planning tool. The paper is conceptual and calls for empirical research to validate the framework.

Abstract

Purpose This paper aims to further the understanding of planning and carrying out logistics operations in disaster relief. Design/methodology/approach Topical literature review of academic and practitioner journals. Findings Creates a framework distinguishing between actors, phases, and logistical processes of disaster relief. Drawing parallels of humanitarian logistics and business logistics, the paper discovers and describes the unique characteristics of humanitarian logistics while recognizing the need of humanitarian logistics to learn from business logistics. Research limitations/implications The paper is conceptual in nature; empirical research is needed to support the framework. The framework sets a research agenda for academics. Practical implications Useful discussion of the unique characteristics of humanitarian logistics. The framework provides practitioners with a tool for planning and carrying out humanitarian logistics operations. Originality/value No overarching framework for humanitarian logistics exists in the logistics literature so far. The field of humanitarian logistics has so far received limited attention by logistics academics.