Journal of Transport and Supply Chain Management

ISSN: (Online) 1995-5235, (Print) 2310-8789

Page 1 of 11 Original Research

Humanitarian logistics challenges in disaster

relief operations: A humanitarian
organisations’ perspective

Author: Background: The number of disasters affecting the world has climbed dramatically over the
Saurav Negi1
previous decade, from around 220 per year in the mid-1990s to around 350–400 per year
Affiliation: now. The rising frequency of natural calamities encouraged the author to conduct a study
1
Department of on humanitarian logistics (HL) and its role in mitigating the consequences of any
Transportation, Logistics and disaster incidence. Thus, this study aims to outline the issues and challenges affecting HL in
Safety Management, Faculty
disaster relief.
of Business and Economics,
Modern College of Business Objectives: The purpose of this study is to emphasize the critical role of HL in disaster
and Science, Muscat, Oman
management and to identify the issues that humanitarian organizations (HO) face while
Corresponding author: managing their logistics and supply chains during disaster relief operations.
Saurav Negi,
[email protected] Method: The study employed a qualitative approach to investigate the problems affecting HL
and supply chains by conducting a literature analysis on disaster management/disaster
Dates: supply chain. The literature related to HL was reviewed, analyzed, and accordingly, the
Received: 21 Oct. 2021
findings are presented.
Accepted: 29 Nov. 2021
Published: 15 Sept. 2022 Results: The results of a thorough evaluation of the basic and contemporary literature on
How to cite this article: HL identified various challenges, reinforcing the necessity for additional research in HL
Negi, S., 2022, ‘Humanitarian operations to better the present situation. Additionally, it will lay the groundwork for
logistics challenges in disaster various stakeholders such as humanitarian/non-profit organizations, governments, and
relief operations: A policymakers to plan and develop appropriate solutions.
humanitarian organisations’
perspective’, Journal of Conclusion: As natural disasters occur often throughout the world; it is critical to handle
Transport and Supply Chain
logistical operations properly and efficiently during disaster relief operations. While none of
Management 16(0), a691.
https://doi.org/10.4102/ the disaster situations can be prevented, their impact can be minimized by adequate
jtscm.v16i0.691 preparation and response during humanitarian logistical operations.

Copyright: Keywords: humanitarian logistics; humanitarian supply chain; disaster management;

© 2022. The Authors. humanitarian organisation; disaster preparedness and response.
Licensee: AOSIS. This work
is licensed under the
Creative Commons
Attribution License. Introduction
Tsunamis, floods, hurricanes, landslides, mudslides, and earthquakes are all rising in frequency
that are leading to various complexities for humanitarian organisations (HOs) (Asian Disaster
Reduction Centre 2016; Behl & Dutta 2019a; Pathak & Ahmad 2016; Thapa, Pathak & Pathak
2021). According to Hannah and Max (2019), over the last decade, around 60 000 people have died
each year because of natural disasters, accounting for 0.1% of the global deaths. In many years, the
death toll can be extremely low – frequently less than 10 000 and accounting for as little as 0.01%
of overall mortality. However, the devastation caused by shock catastrophes such as the 1983–1985
Ethiopian famine and drought; the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami; Cyclone Nargis,
which slammed Myanmar in 2008; and the 2010 Haitian Port-au-Prince earthquake has increased
global disaster mortality to over 200 000 – accounting for more than 0.4% of deaths throughout
these years (Hannah & Max 2019). According to the renowned CRED (The Centre for Research on
the Epidemiology of Disasters) International Disaster Database, at least 396 natural disasters
claimed 11 755 lives, impacted 95 million people, and cost almost $130 billion in 2019 (CRED
2020). In 2018, the same pattern was found, with 281 climate-related and geophysical incidents
Read online: resulting in 10 733 deaths (Dubey, Gunasekaran & Papadopoulos 2019b). Figure 1 depicts the
Scan this QR annual global death toll because of natural disasters in absolute terms (from 2000 to 2018).
code with your
smart phone or
mobile device Droughts, floods, excessive temperature, wildfires, volcanic activity, landslides, extreme
to read online.
weather, earthquakes, and dry mass movements are considered as ‘all-natural disasters’.

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 Page 2 of 11 Original Research

According to CRED, the number of catastrophes affecting activity of a diverse spectrum of HOs (Marshall 2018).
the globe has increased significantly over the previous Humanitarian organisations work to eliminate human
decade, from around 220 per year in the mid-1990s to suffering through disaster relief and development
around 350–400 per year today. These affected more than assistance initiatives on a routine basis. This can be in the
200 million people and are predicted to cost around form of rescuing refugees and ensuring their safety,
$200bn (Rodriguez et al. 2009). As John and Ramesh (2016) providing housing and food for the homeless, or assisting
observed, over the last four decades, the world has persons affected by natural disasters or civil unrest. The
witnessed over 6500 disasters (natural and man-made), ability to quickly recognise the needs and engaging in
affecting more than five billion people worldwide. According fundraising, sourcing, transporting, distributing, and
to CRED, the cumulative loss from all disasters has providing supplies and services to individuals in need is
surpassed $150 trillion, displacing more than 180 million one of the HOs’ essential competencies. Procurement of
people. Within these figures, several recent disaster incidents, items (such as pharmaceuticals, food, and non-food items)
including the 2005 Southeast Asian tsunami, the flooding in and services (such as warehousing, transportation, and
New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina, the Pakistan data collecting and analysis) is a crucial activity for HOs
earthquake in 2005, Cyclone Nargis in Burma, the Sichuan (Moshtaria et al. 2021).
earthquake in 2008, the Haiti earthquake and Pakistan
flooding 2010, have all served to emphasise the critical need The abundance of humanitarian challenges that society
to understand the best methods for delivering humanitarian have experienced in recent years has justified the growing
aid following such incidents. Additionally, the frequency, interest in this field including natural disasters and armed
magnitude, and effect of natural disasters are all increasing conflicts (Dubey & Gunasekaran 2015). Natural disasters
(Scheuren et al. 2008). As a result of the rapid urbanisation, strike frequently throughout the world, necessitating effective
climate change and environmental degradation, disasters management of humanitarian logistics (HL) operations.
have had a greater impact in the past, particularly in less- Identifying and addressing numerous challenges and
developed nations (Fink & Redaelli 2011). The demand on impediments in relief chains is one of the most important
HOs is projected to intensify, as predictions indicate that topics in humanitarian logistics and supply chain management
the impact of natural and man-made disasters would rise (HLSCM) (Kabra & Ramesh 2015; Kabra, Ramesh & Arshinder
fivefold over the next 50 years (Thomas & Kopczak 2005). 2015; Kovacs & Moshtari 2019; Petrudi, Tavana & Abdi 2020).
As the number and severity of disasters increases around the
Humanitarian organisations refer to the agencies that aid world, HLSCM must be prepared to respond effectively.
people who are suffering, particularly victims of armed Nonetheless, HOs engaged on relief operations are facing
conflict, famines, and natural disasters. Occasionally numerous challenges that must be addressed (Ozdemir et al.
these organisations are also called relief societies. Since 2021). With the same motivation, the author attempted to
World War II, emergency relief for natural disasters and research on HL and its role in mitigating the consequences
help to civilians affected by conflict have driven the of any disaster incident. Because identifying issues and

350000

317757

300000

250000 241527
235332
Number of deaths

200000

150000

110036
10000
89 657

50000
30 978 22 861
30 969 21 696
9687 16 938 9732 7959
8681 7341 10 809
12 580 23 491
0 11 142
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
Year

Source: EMDAT, 2019, OFDA/CRED International Disaster Database, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels.
FIGURE 1: Global deaths from natural disasters.

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 Page 3 of 11 Original Research

obstacles paves the way for planning and implementing the present study ranges from 2000 to 2021. The researcher
effective mitigation strategies, this study aims to emphasise reviewed the available literature or body of knowledge
the critical role of HL in disaster management and to identify using the steps as detailed next Jabbour et al. (2019).
the obstacles that HL faces during disaster relief operations.
The study will contribute to the vast knowledge of HL from The first step is to identify the primary articles on the
the HOs perspective. subject that are available in academic databases (Scopus,
Google Scholar, Research Gate, etc.) and to consider the
As none of the incidents related to disasters can be avoided, primary keywords associated with the subject (disaster
their aftermath however can be reduced through careful management, disaster supply chain, disaster relief
planning and effective HL operations (Vries & Wassenhove operations); the second step is to screen the papers/articles
2020). Additionally, historical data indicate that the world is identified in the previous step to reject those that are
seeing a substantial decrease in disaster-related deaths irrelevant to the field of study. Third, creating and
because of improved disaster prediction, response systems, implementing a classification system to detect the subject’s
emergency preparedness, and more resilient infrastructure or topic’s central structures under consideration (role of HL,
(Hannah & Max 2019). The identified challenges would disaster relief operations, HLSCM challenges).
aid in the planning and management of any disaster
event effectively, thereby saving millions of lives and The author conducted an extensive literature review on
nations’ wealth. various disaster incidents to examine the challenges and
issues confronting HLSC. Secondary sources included
Given the important role HL plays in disaster relief research papers, conference proceedings, industry white
operations, it is vital to understand the challenges faced by papers, presentations, and case studies published in peer-
HOs in managing the operations during in an event of any reviewed journals. The author cited journals on HL published
disaster. by reputable publishers such as Elsevier, Emerald, Wiley,
Taylor and Francis, and Springer. The collected papers were
To inspire and enlighten new research, the current study then analysed to understand the role of HL and the logistical
provides an overview of HL and describes the real practices and related challenges that were faced by the participants/
agencies/HOs in managing the past disaster events. The
and associated challenges in managing HL in disaster relief
author identified the critical challenges to managing HL
operations. The aim of the present study is to answer the
more effectively, thereby paving the way for various
following research questions:
stakeholders such as state governments, policymakers, non-
• What is the role of HL in managing disaster relief profit organisations (NPOs)/HOs to plan and develop
operations? strategies accordingly.
• What challenges are encountered by HOs in performing
HL operations during any disaster relief operations?
Humanitarian logistics’ and its role
To answer the questions above, the author examined the in disaster relief operations
peer-reviewed research papers on HL and disaster relief Disaster relief operations normally entails a series of phases
operations and analysed the challenges related to HL in involving establishing communication infrastructures,
different disaster scenarios. undertaking search and rescue operations, and providing
any necessary first aid services (Narayanan & Ibe 2015).
The remainder of this article is structured as follows. The Disaster relief operations are focused on deciding the
methodology is discussed in the second section. The third transportation of food, equipment, first aid supplies, rescue
section discusses HL and its role in disaster management. workers from supply points to many geographically dispersed
The fourth section outlines the pertinent literature on destination nodes within the disaster region, as well as the
HLSCM in detail and then summarises the HL challenges. evacuation and transference of disaster victims to healthcare
Finally, the conclusion is presented, and future research facilities safely and expeditiously (Barbarosoglu, Ozdamar &
directions are outlined. Cevik 2002). The speed with which humanitarian aid is
delivered following a disaster is contingent on ‘logisticians’
Methodology ability to procure, transport, and receive supplies at the site
of a humanitarian relief effort’ (Berkoune et al. 2011;
This article focuses primarily on the role of HL and the Kovacs & Spens 2007; Thomas 2003).
challenges encountered during disaster relief operations.
Using the available literature globally, this study used a Specifically, ‘humanitarian logistics’ refers to the activities of:
qualitative approach to identify and highlight the
[P]lanning, implementing, and controlling the efficient, cost-
challenges confronting HL. The author conducted a effective flow and storage of goods and materials, as well as
narrative review of the past literature and discovered a associated information, from point of origin to point of
broad range of challenges to HL in disaster relief consumption to alleviate the suffering of vulnerable people.
operations. The studies that are considered to complete (Thomas & Kopczak 2005:2)

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 Page 4 of 11 Original Research

In a nutshell, for humanitarians, logistics refers to ‘the Humanitarian logistics supply chain stages
processes and systems involved in mobilizing people,
The literature agrees on the following four stages of HLSCM: (1)
resources, skills, and knowledge to assist vulnerable people
mitigation, (2) preparation, (3) response, and (4) reconstruction.
affected by the disaster’ (VanWassenhove 2006).
The disaster management cycle comprises of the four
components as mentioned above (Warfield 2008). With a strong
In any emergency, logistics management is responsible for
emphasis on logistics and supply chain management, the
sourcing and managing medicines, food, clothing, and in-
preparation, response, and reconstruction processes are
kind donations (both solicited and uninvited) from several
mostly logistical, forming HL streams (see Figure 2):
donors. It also requires monitoring the commodities
(Whybark 2007), finance, and information connected to the • This process of mitigation entails the activities necessary
flow of disaster assistance (Lee & Zbinden 2003). The logistics to avert a natural disaster, mitigate its impact, and mitigate
component of any humanitarian aid programme accounts for the resulting losses and damages (Warfield 2008). It
the largest share (approximately 80%) of the overall activity does not require the logistician’s direct engagement
and has always been a critical component of humanitarian and refers to the rules and systems that mitigate the
assistance operations (Kovacs & Spens 2007; Trunick 2005). social vulnerability (Holguin-Veras et al. 2012). These
Following the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, both researchers are issues about the government’s responsibility (Pathak
and practitioners have developed an increased interest in & Ahmad 2018).
logistics applied to disasters (Gunasekaran et al. 2018; Kovacs • The preparation stage encompasses a variety of activities
& Spens 2007). The tsunami demonstrated that emergency that occur before the onset of a disaster (Warfield 2008).
aid response efficacy is reliant on the speed and efficiency of This stage covers the strategies implemented to ensure
logistics operations (Pettit et al. 2011), highlighting the the success of the operational response (Haddow, Bullock
importance of logistics in humanitarian relief efforts & Coppola 2013; Kumar & Havey 2013). This stage is
(Christopher & Tatham 2011). critical since the collaboration base, information and
communications technology (ICT) systems, and physical
As Daud et al. (2016) described, during HL, the following network design systems are developed in this stage.
processes are required: (1) ensure that the appropriate This includes: identifying threats, determining an
supplies of goods are delivered in good condition; (2) bulk organisation’s capacities in the event of a disaster,
commodities storage, staging, and movement; (3) developing scenarios for training purposes, identifying
coordination and optimisation of the usage of limited and key partners such as suppliers, and identifying important
shared transportation; (4) people’s movement; and (5) assets (Kunz, Reiner & Gold 2014).
specific delivery from outside the affected area. Logistical • The response stage refers to the different functions that
coordination in humanitarian aid management, according are immediately applied following the occurrence of a
to Dolinskaya et al. (2011), brings together individuals with disaster. This comprises acts conducted immediately in
experience, expertise, and capabilities in a variety of response to any emergency or disaster events (Warfield
disciplines to the disaster-affected area, where their
collaborative endeavours support alleviating the suffering
of the affected people.

Humanitarian logistics differs from traditional logistics in

that its goal is to give humanitarian aid in the form of food,
water, medical assistance, and shelter (Kovacs & Spens 2009;
Tatham, Spens & Kovacs 2017). Humanitarian logistics also Reconstruon Migaon
focuses on search and rescue operations, sustaining or saving
a life, and re-establishing self-sufficiency. However, these
operations are perpetually hampered by logistical
complexities, disaster management policies, HL management
issues, and an overabundance of financial sources (Thevenaz
& Resodihardjo 2010). According to Balcik and Beamon
(2008), HL possesses several critical characteristics that Response Preparedness
distinguish it from business logistics. The following
characteristics apply:
• The instability of demand in terms of product type,
location, timing, and size.
• Unexpected demand in massive quantities with shorter
response times for a diverse range of supplies.
• Shortage of resources (manpower, supply, transportation Source: VanWassenhove, L., 2006, ‘Humanitarian aid logistics: Supply chain management in
high gear’, Journal of the Operational Research Society 57(5), 475–489. https://doi.
capacity, funds, and technology). org/10.1057/palgrave.jors.2602125
• High risks linked with delivery timeliness. FIGURE 2: Stages in humanitarian logistics supply chain.

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 Page 5 of 11 Original Research

2008). The goal of response actions should be to mobilise TABLE 1: The summary of players in humanitarian logistics and their role.
Player Role/responsibility
resources, services, and emergency responders to the
NGO Aid a humanitarian mission according to its function as a donor,
impacted region (Altay et al. 2018). Coordination a collector, or a supplier.
between relief actors is critical at this stage (Ozen & Donors-provide financial assistance in the form of cash; Collectors-
Krishnamurthy 2018; Quarshie & Leuschner 2020). collect financial support from suppliers, employees, and customers;
Provider— a business that provides its goods and services for free.
• The reconstruction stage encompasses a variety of tasks Government The HL activators oversee authorising operations and deploying
carried out in the aftermath of a disaster (Warfield 2008). resources.

It entails rehabilitation, and this stage focuses on Donors Those who contribute solely financial resources to enhance
activities.
long-term solutions to the problem. The military A critical player, as soldiers are often tasked with providing primary
aid, such as hospital and camp setup, route repairs, and
telecommunications.
Humanitarian logistics- key players NGO, non-governmental organisation; HL, humanitarian logistics.

The term ‘HL players’ refers to the individuals or organisations

worldwide scale, researchers have conducted numerous
that contribute to the HL process. Kovacs and Karen (2007)
categorised the actors in HL as governments, relief agencies, studies on the HSC. The challenges inherent in HL have been
the military, NGOs (non-governmental organisations), described in detail in this section.
private sector enterprises, and donors. Some of the main
actors are discussed as follows: The subject of disaster management has grown in
prominence, and within it, the area of knowledge on
• Government: Governments are key financial and material HLSCM has garnered interest from a diverse range of
contributors to humanitarian operations (Baldini et al. stakeholders, including academics, practitioners, and
2012; Trestrail, Paul & Maloni 2009). In essence, every policymakers (Dashtpeyma & Ghodsi 2021; Kovacs &
government participates in humanitarian aid as a donor, a Spens 2010). Numerous authors have addressed various
beneficiary, or both (Kovacs & Spens 2009; Schiffling 2013). issues and challenges in HLSCM (Petrudi et al. 2020).
• Donor: Even though HOs are non-profit, they must keep Some of the authors who have discussed the challenges
a constant eye on their finances because donor funding is related to HLSCM include: Maghsoudi and Moshtari
limited and can be discontinued at any moment (2021); Behl and Dutta (2020); L’Hermitte and Nair (2020);
(Chandes & Pache 2010). Aside from giving relief, HOs Negi and Negi (2021); Altay et al. (2018); Behl and Dutta
must also maintain a steady funding stream from donors (2019a, 2019b); Dubey et al. (2019a, 2019b); Kim, Ramkumar
(Schiffling 2013). and Subramanian (2019); Sabri, Zarei and Harland (2019);
• NGOs: Whilst NGOs lack the authority to affect another’s Tayal and Singh (2019); Dubey et al. (2018); Gunasekaran
supply chain and usually lack considerable autonomy, et al. (2018); John and Ramesh (2016); Baldini et al. (2012);
they are important players, whether in a positive way by Pathirage et al. (2012); Bagchi, Paul and Michael (2011);
demanding reform through cooperation or in a bad way Overstreet et al. (2011); Balcik et al. (2010); Oloruntoba
by engaging in intense competition (Schiffling 2013). and Gray (2006, 2009); Pettit and Beresford (2006,
• Military: The military’s capacity to respond quickly in 2009); Stephenson and Schnitzer (2006); Oloruntoba (2005);
an emergency leads to more engagement during the Stephenson (2005); Moore, Eng and Daniel (2003).
immediate reaction. However, as the emergency settles,
their role diminishes (Banomyong & Sopadang 2010). The John and Ramesh (2016) conducted research in the Indian
military, particularly in HL, can be both a benchmark and context and analysed the HSC’s constraints and how they
a significant cooperating partner (Carroll & Neu 2009). affect its operation through interpretive structural modelling
(ISM). The study emphasised the critical role of skilled and
Each player has critical obligations and tasks to guarantee experienced logisticians in the proper administration of most
that the HL plan is successful and as cost-effective as possible. operations associated with HSCM. Additionally, the critical
Because of the intensity and complexity of the crisis, as well nature of generating credible bases of information to forecast
as the scarcity of resources, participants in humanitarian the occurrence of a disaster has been emphasised. Pathirage et al.
supply chains (HSC) must work together and trust one (2012) also researched identifying HSC issues, finding
another to achieve mutual goals (Dubey, Altay & Blome that operational/managerial, legal, social, economic,
2019a). A lack of coordination amongst players in the HSC technological, and environmental factors all appear to have a
could result in major losses and an ineffective response in direct effect on the disaster management cycle, whilst
affected areas (Dubey et al. 2018; Noori & Weber 2016). The political and institutional factors appear to have an indirect
function of each participant in HL is presented in Table 1. effect. Lack of funding for economic planning measures,
ineffective institutional measures, inadequate planning, the
Discussion on the humanitarian need for regular updating of disaster-related regulations, the
logistics/disaster supply chain need for effective education, poor communication, lack of
detection and warning systems, and ineffective leadership
challenges were amongst the significant challenges identified. Ibrahim
This section examines research that has been conducted on et al. (2017) found political related issues such as political
the challenges associated with disaster management. On the pressure, weak enforcement mechanisms, weak institutions,

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corruption, and a lack of political as major challenges study discovered that the ability of HOs to deal with a variety
affecting the procurement activities in HSC. John and Ramesh of events in a number of situations has a substantial impact on
(2012) examined the current state of preparedness for the quality of their operations.
disasters, identified gaps, and proposed a few strategies to
address them. Numerous issues require attention, including Singh (2010) examined the key issues of humanitarian
the importance of a central authority, resource scarcity and logisticians through a Kosi flood case study, which includes
abundance, identifying supply sources, coordinating the lack of logistician restructuring, poor and insufficient
amongst actors, the role of skilled supply chain management support. Kovacs and Spens (2009) also recognised the key
professionals, understanding of HLSCM, and the need for a issues faced by humanitarian logisticians concerning the
financial supply chain. various sorts of disasters, stages of disaster assistance, and
types of HOs, and developed a conceptual model to help
As challenges experienced by World Vision, India, identify these issues. The most significant difficulty is in
regarding HL, Joshi (2010) discussed the insufficiency of coordinating logistical efforts. The authors demonstrated
supply chain management software and communication that by assigning difficulties to distinct stakeholder settings,
equipment, the requirement of proper storage facilities, the they can be managed more effectively.
difficulty of communicating, and the problem of receiving
government clearance. Tatham and Houghton (2011) also Oloruntoba (2005) underlined the Tsunami’s early warning
found access to warehouses as a major challenge for system’s failure and the difficulties inherent in efficiently
international HOs in the aftermath of the 2008 Nargis storm reacting to and handling a transnational disaster of this
in Myanmar. Maghsoudi and Moshtari (2021) identified the magnitude. Suggestions for effective disaster management
challenges during a recent disaster relief operation in and response were made. Several of the difficulties include
the 2017 Kermanshah earthquake in Iran, where the managing media and information, logistics and coordination,
humanitarian response is dominated by national actors. The assessing requirements and damage, and ensuring the
author discusses the HL challenges of assessing needs, safety and security of donations. L’Hermite et al. (2016)
procuring supplies, storage, transporting and distributing and Constable (2008) also addressed security concerns,
them to the last mile. When an emergency strikes in India, emphasising how a looter could exploit the chaotic situation
Medicines San Frontiers observed that enormous distance, to steal things. The same challenge was also found in the
population density, lack of coordination, and a lack of disaster relief operation in 2017 Kermanshah earthquake
accurate information/communication flow are important as per Maghsoudi and Moshtari (2021).
problems (Gandini 2010). Rajeshwar (2010) analyzed three
significant disasters that affected India in the last 5 years Gustavsson (2002) outlined the difficulties associated with
(the Indian tsunami, the Supaul floods of Bihar, and the reconstruction, delivery speed, the transfer of individuals
Kashmir earthquake) to highlight the issues faced. Parida from conflict zones, and the migration of humanitarian
(2010) analyzed the organisation of India’s government personnel. Sandwell (2011) examined humanitarian disaster
response mechanism and the difficulties associated with HL relief logistics to gain a better knowledge of the issues
management. Parida (2010) attempts to investigate the confronting HOs. He noticed that the operational obstacles
Government of India’s reaction to numerous disasters that HLs encounter are reflective of greater problems that
during the last decade, discussing the government’s disaster HOs face. Fritz Institute (2005) demonstrated the critical role
preparedness programme in detail, whilst also exploring of HL relief efforts and identified some common issues
the possibility of an alternate way to resolve the issues. through a survey of field logisticians from the main
international organisations involved in the tsunami recovery
Quarshie and Leuschner (2020) looked into the New Jersey efforts. The issues included a shortage of logistics experts,
state government’s reasonably successful Sandy response largely manual supply chain processes, insufficient
effort in collaboration with other humanitarian participants, assessments and planning, limited coordination and
highlighting the methods adopted by the government during collaboration, transportation execution, procurement, track
the response phase. Pathak and Ahmad (2018) investigated the and trace, mobilisation of financial and human resources,
role, duties, and tactics used by the government during the preparedness, assessment, and appeal, organisational setup,
‘2011 floods in Thailand’s Pathumthani region’. The study monitoring/evaluating/reporting, stock asset management,
found inter-departmental miscommunication, dearth of and communication. Additionally, it is imperative to
transportation amenities in the affected area, a lack of interest remember that in managing HL, the absence of coordination
in providing long-term sustainability on the ground, lack of amongst many players, both in the public and private sectors,
transparency in the government’s action plans, and remains a critical component. Lack of coordination was also
mismanagement of existing resources as issues during the identified as a critical issue in HSC by Kabra and Ramesh
relief operations. In a similar manner, Kunz and Reiner (2016) (2015), who claimed that this challenge could result in a
identified transportation regulation and government variety of consequences, including ineffective aid distribution,
constraints as two of the most significant HL challenges competition amongst participants for limited resources, and
confronting humanitarian actors. Salem et al. (2019) traffic congestion on transportation networks. Maghsoudi
highlighted the role of leadership and decision-making in and Moshtari (2021), Baporikar and Shangheta (2018),
enhancing performance of humanitarian operations. The Makepeace, Tatham and Wu (2017), Tatham et al. (2017),

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Balcik et al. (2010), Kovacs and Spens (2009), Fritz Institute the emergency supply chain include a lack of information
(2004) have all reported that logistics coordination at both the flow, insufficient preparation for HL, and the non-
organisational and inter-organisational levels can disrupt the accessibility of relief items in sufficient quantities.
procurement of items, warehousing, and last-mile Additionally, it was discovered that the government
distribution of aid. response system in most of the incidents had flaws such as
inadequate information management systems, inadequate
Baldini et al. (2012) discussed the fundamental characteristics planning, and inadequate preparedness for maintaining
and issues of HL, as well as the possible contribution of the supply chain of relief documentarians, lack of training
secured radio frequency identification in enhancing the for officials, lack of concentrated efforts on maintaining
security and overall management of HSC. Not only does an relief logistics supply, and duplication of efforts between
HL information system improve logistical activities within the government and non-government sectors. Moreover,
each stage, but it also has the potential to improve there is a dearth of clear-cut criteria or plans for assessing
humanitarian operations’ continuity by transmitting the estimations of relief supplies and logistics, and as a
information during the transition between different crisis result, many nations across the globe lack a system for
management cycle stages (Tyagi & Kaushal 2010; Whybark maintaining minimal reserves in warehouses or relief
2007). Tripathi (2010) developed a model for effective relief centres. The HOs must deliver the proper assistance to the
supplies that emphasised logistical operations. This model suitable location at the appropriate time and at the relevant
contains aspects about resource mobilisation, assessment, cost. However, the obstacles to attaining this are numerous
information management and control, warehousing, and complex.
transportation, and procurement. Procurement of goods and
services is an important and difficult process for HO, As HOs mobilised to offer help in this devastation and
accounting for around 65% of relief costs (Moshtaria et al. chaos, it became clear that sophisticated supply chains
2021). Tripathi (2010) also created a comprehensive strategy would be critical to providing food, housing, and medical
that looks at many areas of logistical operations during a supplies from across the country. Additionally, because most
disaster in tough terrain like Leh. natural disasters are unanticipated, the demand for
necessary items is similarly uncertain during these crises
Vaillancourt (2016) established a theoretical framework to (Eftekhar & Webster 2020; Moshtaria et al. 2021). Thus, HL is
help HL professionals adequately the incentives and barriers difficult, as it must be progressively adaptable and able to
to material consolidation. The author identified particular operate under severe constraints. Thus, proper planning,
causes of delays and hurdles to cooperation that occurs preparation, and response stages are critical for emergency
during catastrophe response and development operations. supply chain management and crisis logistics (Ben-Tal et al.
Tatham and Pettit (2010) discussed supply network 2011). The success of any disaster management effort is
management in the context of HL, arguing that the important highly dependent on factors such as resource mobilisation,
philosophies that have been the subject of extensive academic effective command and control, the capability to organise
study are correspondingly appropriate to the HL field and the effort logically and timely (Murray 2005), sound strategic
must result in a substantial enhancement in the effectiveness planning (Altay et al., 2009; Ben-Tal et al. 2011; Vries &
and efficiencies of HL preparation and response. According Wassenhove 2020), dealing with psychological factors
to Chandes and Pache (2010), collaborative action has a during crises, and the logistics’ capability to match up with
beneficial effect on the functioning of HSC when a ‘hub’ is relief operations (Meite 2010).
employed to ensure reliability and accountability. If a
technical approach is necessary to improve HL management Furthermore, there is a need to improve understanding in
such as the location of regional warehouses, and optimisation this field. On the ground, logisticians are frequently
of transportation, it must also serve a collaborative strategy, untrained individuals who have gained their expertise on
most particularly in the pre-positioning of supplies and the job. Competency-based capacity-building programmes
coordination of relief activities. and processes must therefore be established and supported
to elevate the skills and knowledge of humanitarian
Challenges faced by humanitarian organisations logisticians to a more professional level, backed up by
in disaster relief logistics – A glance appropriate training courses and accreditation (Gustavsson
The wide range of challenges presented in this section are 2002). The importance of skilled and knowledgeable
identified based on the analysis of the literature review and logisticians is critical for properly managing most HSCM of
are summarised in Table 2. the activities (John & Ramesh 2016; Patil, Shardeo &
Madaan 2021).
The author conducted literature research to identify the
critical issues in HLSCM, which are explored and presented None of the agencies can address and overcome the issues
in detail in this section. The areas that are challenging, listed above on its own. A greater level of collaboration
weak and require additional development in the HL across agencies is required in terms of common specialist
context to successfully respond to future crises are pools and workshops. Agencies should provide possibilities
identified. Several significant issues that confront HL and for their workers to collaborate with NGOs. The business

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 Page 8 of 11 Original Research

TABLE 2: Humanitarian logistics challenges. TABLE 2 (Continues…): Humanitarian logistics challenges.

Factors The challenges Factors The challenges
Lack of preparedness • W
 ithout correct initial planning, an organisation is unable to Needs versus • D
 onors and international response organisations must
adhere to established protocols and progress quickly to the loss-based relief decide whether to prioritise humanitarian assistance based
subsequent stages of assessment, appeal, and resource on need or loss. The relief groups make this determination
mobilisation. following their policies.
Procurement • P
 rocurement processes that have been developed in Financial resources • Inability to obtain financial resources when necessary.
advance. mobilisation
• Delays in procurement. Political issues • T he region’s political circumstances may preclude the quick
• Identifying the donations, prioritising the things, and delivery of aid supplies or longer-term reconstruction,
determining whether the commodities should be putting the security and safety of aid workers at risk.
transported or stored. Sociocultural issues • S ociocultural barriers exist between supporting agencies
and donors on the one hand, and local officials and victims
Transportation • Infrastructure
 destruction, such as roads and airports, and on the other hand.
execution customs delays are cited as the primary impediments to
transportation implementation. • D
 iverse requirements in impacted countries, combined with
diverse socioeconomic and cultural contexts to which relief
• C
 ongestion and strain on the few functioning highways and and donor agencies must adapt successfully, present a
airports because of the limited local transit capacity. challenge for the relief and reconstruction endeavour.
Timely delivery • T ime restrictions are rigid. Food and medications that are Reconstruction • F ollowing a disaster, a huge reconstruction effort is required
perishable must be distributed quickly or they will be ineffective challenges to provide suitable housing and rehabilitating the
and may raise the danger of casualties and epidemics. infrastructure.
• E mergency supplies, materials, and necessary commodities
must be airlifted immediately.
Mostly manual supply• Access to software that enables tracking and tracing is community can establish a pool of logistics professionals
chain processes limited.
and make them available to the humanitarian sector on an
• Inadequate supply chain management.
Shortage of logistics • Humanitarian agencies are affected by a shortage of as needed and urgent basis. Because of the seasonal nature
experts qualified and skilled logisticians on the ground. of the demand for HL services and the fact that they are
Demand forecasting • R
 elief chains depict the connections between demand and only required in the incident of an emergency, logistics
supply. Demand is difficult to forecast, as it fluctuates
constantly in response to field reports. experts from the business sector could collaborate with
Size of the relief chain• T he volume of commodities that must be carried and field-based NGOs in both the pre-and post-disaster stages
transported might be considerable, as the crisis could affect
a big geographical region and a huge population. (Gustavsson 2002).
Inadequate • C
 ertain logistical constraints are not expected or prepared
assessments and for.
planning When communities are affected by natural catastrophes or
Security issues • C
 riminals such as thieves and looters may exploit the developmental obstacles, workers from all disciplines
messy situation to steal commodities or damage the
supply chain. collaborate to aid in social reconstruction. Collaboration
• In all emergency scenarios, theft at all supply chain levels across disciplines and community engagement are critical
poses a risk of loss.
• F aulty medications or rotten food usage can risk the
for achieving meaningful and sustained change in
survivors’ lives even further. underdeveloped communities (Pardasani 2006). Local
Assessment and • I naccurate estimation of beneficiary numbers, locations, communities, particularly at the village and municipal
appeal and other programmes because of a lack of precise ground
data. levels, can strengthen their ability to plan for and respond
• L ack of knowledge because of dearth of skilled local workers more efficiently and effectively to the logistical issues they
and their presence, and infrastructure destruction
restricting access to impacted areas. encounter following a natural disaster (Sheppard et al.
Stock asset • Utilisation of existing regional logistical infrastructure. 2013). Additionally, Oloruntoba (2005) stressed the critical
management
• Positioning the stock in advance. necessity for or inclusion of indigenous people in HL
Human resources • S taffing levels, quality, and training at the worldwide,
mobilisation regional, national, and area levels. activities in the aftermath of any disaster. Investment in
• T he transfer of workers is a frequently underestimated communication and information technology is critical to
variable and a severe logistical challenge in huge crises. The
most pertinent question is: how can a huge number of relief resolving the crisis and mitigating its impacts. Non-
workers be mobilised? Additionally, maintaining their safety governmental organisations must develop an understanding
and housing without causing economic distortions is a
problem. of the critical role supply chain management and logistics
Mobilising affected • When conflict breaks out, huge numbers of people must may play. A critical area of concern that necessitated
people from conflict frequently be relocated to safe zones – temporary transit
zones centres, tracking centres, and army camps. collaboration between NGOs and the private sector is
Degradation of • S ignificant infrastructures such as energy, global communications. Furthermore, amongst many other
critical infrastructure transportation, and communications may deteriorate or
be destroyed, impairing the delivery of necessary technological solutions, blockchain can be claimed to play a
products. ‘The final mile’ is frequently the source of the crucial role in tackling the challenges related to HLSCM,
trouble. The destruction of communications
infrastructure has a severe effect on the level of specially regarding trust, collaboration, and coordination
collaboration and coordination amongst the crisis
resolution participants. (Ar et al. 2020; Aranda, Fernandez & Stantchev 2019; Dubey
Information and • T he issues associated with public information management et al. 2020; Erol et al. 2020; Ko & Verity 2019; Ozdemir et al.
communication are daunting; for example, insufficient, excessive, or wrong
information may be released. 2021; Stathakis 2019).
• C
 ellular networks have been unable to cope with the rising

Conclusion
number of demands.
Limited collaboration • Collaboration is generally ad hoc — ‘urgent requirements’
and coordination type of arrangement. Organisations struggle to strike a
balance between their internal operational requirements The article aimed to develop the understanding of HL
and their desire to collaborate.
challenges based on past research findings by answering the
Donations • A
 ssuring that donors’ financial pledges are achieved and
funding is given to relief agencies as needed, may present following research questions: (1) What is the role of HL in
challenges.
managing disaster relief operations? and (2) What challenges

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 Page 9 of 11 Original Research

are encountered by HOs in performing HL operations a guide for the stakeholders to prepare themselves for any
during any disaster relief operations? disaster related events and plan the logistics activities and
required resources accordingly to rapidly respond to the
It was found that HOs have to undergo several challenges situation by minimising the adverse consequences. The issues
related to HL whilst managing any disaster event. The identified in this study can also serve as a road map for
challenges are related to transportation, infrastructure, effectively integrating HLSC and addressing the challenges
warehousing, procurement, last-mile connectivity, coordination for HL to be successful.
in logistics activities, collaboration and trust amongst partners,
safety and security concerns, political issues, fund management, The article has a few limitations. It is based on secondary
need assessments etc. The study also highlighted how these sources and takes a global perspective. The challenges
challenges have effected the disaster relief operations in the differ by country and location, based on the infrastructure,
past major disaster incidents. It has been demonstrated in legislation, geography, topography, population, and rules
numerous disaster scenarios that there were insufficient policies,
and regulations of the place. As a result, various avenues for
guidelines, laws, regulations, and preparedness strategies in
future investigation exist. The challenges can be empirically
place to deal with such calamities. Therefore, it clearly brings
explored in each region/nation, and strategies can be devised
forth and underlines the critical significance that preparedness
based on the findings.
and response play in disaster management. Mitigation and
readiness are critical stages, and their associated costs are
significantly higher than those associated with recovery and Acknowledgements
reconstruction. The author would like to thank all the reviewers who
provided their valuable inputs to make this work publishable.
Local populations’ functions and engagement would enable
governments and residents to oversee preparedness and
response activities independently. This would necessitate a Competing interests
systematic shift in training and command, finance, and The author declares that he has no financial or personal
control across the logistics and supply chain spectrum. relationships that may have inappropriately influenced him
Increased local participation in disaster preparedness and the in writing this article.
response would result in increased efficiency and efficacy in
the HSC. The establishment of long-term relationships with
Author’s contributions
suppliers, pre-positioning of warehouses, and training of
personnel to deal with the conditions that characterise S.N. is the sole author of this article.
the HSC must all be properly scheduled. Decentralising
operational decision-making closer to catastrophe-prone Ethical considerations
areas will enable a quicker and more effective HL response in
This article followed all ethical standards for research without
disaster events. With disaster situations occurring frequently,
direct contact with human or animal subjects.
there is an imperative need to establish strategies for disaster
management that are both effective and efficient.
Funding information
As none of the disaster situations can be avoided, the damage This research received no specific grant from any funding
however can be minimised by careful planning and appropriate
agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.
humanitarian logistical operations. Identification of obstacles
in various scenarios and operations would assist many
stakeholders, including policymakers, state governments, and Data availability
humanitarian/NPOs, in effectively planning and managing Data sharing is not applicable to this article as no new data
any catastrophic situation, ultimately saving millions of lives. were created or analysed in this study.
Additionally, this study assists in determining and
comprehending the complex issues inherent in HL, hence
supporting the formulation of strategic plans and the
Disclaimer
definition of operational objectives. Lastly, this will assist in The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of
emphasising the implications as well as the critical nature of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or
collaboration across HSC participants. This study investigated position of any affiliated agency of the author.
the challenges faced in disaster relief operations by various
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