Humanitarian Logistics and Humanitarian Supply chain

1. HUMANITARIAN LOGISTICS
Mohamed Sameh
Ihab Mohamed tarek
Salah Gamal Azam
Marwan El-Ghoniemy
Mohamed AbdallahDr. Ahmed
tarek

2. INTRODUCTION
HUMANITARIAN LOGISTICS
Humanitarian organizations can include government agencies such as
United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development
(DFID),
multilateral agencies such as the United Nations Children's Fund
(UNICEF)
the World Food Program (WFP),
non-government organizations (NGOs) such as
Save the Children and Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF)
members of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red
Crescent Movement.

3. Humanitarian organizations usually include logistic units which can have
different functions depending on the organizations or even the disaster and
can include:
Procurement
Warehousing
Fleet Management
Transportation (of both supplies and people)
Asset Management
Building Management
Security
Information Technology (IT)
Radio Communications

4. HUMANITARIAN SUPPLY CHAINS
humanitarian supply chain refers to the network created through the
flow of supplies, services, finances and information between donors,
beneficiaries, suppliers and different units of humanitarian
organizations for the purpose of providing physical aid to
beneficiaries
Humanitarian supply chains include functionalities which do not
typically fall into the field of humanitarian logistics. Managing
relationships with donors, performing needs assessments, planning
for supplies required and monitoring and evaluating the impact of
distributed supplies, are usually the responsibility of non-logistics
program units.

5. Figure 1 presents a summary of the major flows
within both humanitarian supply chains and

6. INTEGRATING LOGISTICS INTO
SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
the core business of humanitarian organizations tend towards health,
education, protection and economic development.
Humanitarian supply chains include units implementing programs,
managing grants with donors, controlling budgets and monitoring
activities which must coordinate with logistics units.
Humanitarian logistics information systems can improve the flow of
information with other units, in a mutually constructive manner,
improving the effectiveness of the humanitarian supply chain.

7. HUMANITARIAN LOGISTICS
INFORMATION SYSTEMS
Enhance needs assessments by ensuring the field staff know what supplies
are available for beneficiaries, either in local warehouses, pre-positioned
emergency stocks . from local and international markets.
Share lists of supplies available, in both local and international markets,
including prices and lead times.
informing program staff to procurement activities, that’s help to develop
an understanding of the constraints within logistics and create trust.
Provide budget holder more accurate financial information. to avoid the
over or under spending of budgets.
Provide warehouse inventory ,allow them to take more responsibility for
their supplies, and ensure that they are utilized effectively.
Share information on the distribution of supplies, to allow staff to better
monitor and evaluate activities and avoid the need for duplication.

8. THE DISASTER MANAGEMENT
CYCLE

9. PREPAREDNESS
The preparedness phase involves building the capacity to respond to
a disaster, such as (working with communities to ensure they know
evacuation options, pre-positioning emergency response supplies
and building organizational capacity to respond to disasters)
Pre-positioned emergency response supplies tend to be less varied,
as they are specific life supporting items, such as ((food, medical
supplies, water and sanitation equipment, shelter, household kits,
etc.…)).
80% of the disaster response phase consists of logistics activities in
the preparedness phase.

10. RESPONSE
The response phase occurs immediately after the disaster, and
activities are focused primarily on saving lives and preventing further
damage.
Humanitarian operations: they distribute food, medical supplies and
other necessities of life to affected populations, and lives will be
dependent on the speed of logistics activities.
The response phase may last from days to months, depending on the
scale of the disaster.

11. TRANSITION
During the transition phase NGOs begin to look at providing ongoing
assistance, such as temporary shelter and revitalizing basic social
services.
NGOs will also plan strategically to transition from implementing
response activities to longer term recovery and mitigation programs.
Logistics activities: such as identifying suppliers to in either local or
international markets to provide supplies for longer term programs,
ensure a smooth transition.

12. RECOVERY
The recovery phase involves aiding communities to return to their
conditions prior to the disaster.
These activities include: training people and distributing supplies for
livelihood, building reconstructing houses and infrastructure.
The recovery phase represents a significant proportion of the duration and
funding of a humanitarian operation and may last from 5-10 years.

13. MITIGATION
involves increasing the resilience of communities to natural hazards
to reduce the impact of disasters.
these activities include: planting mangroves to protect coastlines
against cyclones, constructing dams and reinforcing buildings.

14. TABLE 1: SNAPSHOT OF SELECT
HUMANITARIAN ORGANIZATIONS

15. THE SCOPE AND IMPORTANCE OF
HUMANITARIAN
Logistics Humanitarian Logistics refers to the processes and systems
involved in mobilizing people, resources, skill sand knowledge to help
vulnerable people affected by natural disasters and complex
emergencies. Humanitarian logistics encompasses a range of activities,
including procurement, transport, tracking and tracing, customs
clearance, local transportation, warehousing and last mile delivery.
Figure 1. The Supply Chain for Humanitarian Relief

16. HUMANITARIAN ORGANIZATIONS
AND THEIR MISSIONS
Natural disasters, which include events such as earthquakes, floods,
result in the temporary displacement of approximately five million
people
The humanitarian organizations receiving donations from this global
community include entities operating under the United Nations
umbrella such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), international
organizations such as the International Federation of Red Cross and
Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), and global non-governmental
organizations (NGOs) like CARE and World Vision, as well as regional
and country-specific NGOs.

17. HUMANITARIAN LOGISTICS:
CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES
the conditions under which a humanitarian organization’s staff must
work are extremely chaotic.
Physical infrastructure such as roads, bridges and airports are often
destroyed.
National and local government, through which humanitarian
organizations must often coordinate their activities, may be severely
impacted, or even uprooted in the case of a conflict situation.

18. MAJOR ACTIVITIES WITHIN A
DISASTER RESPONSE OPERATION

19. PAIN POINTS
The first of these is the nature of the funding process. Donor scrutiny over the usage of funds
concern that contributions flow directly through to beneficiaries combined with earmarking of
donations for particular relief operations, drives HROs to focus on direct relief rather than
investing in systems and processes that will reduce expenses or make relief more effective over
the long-term. Thus, operational disaster response approaches are encouraged by the funding
mechanism and strategic disaster preparedness opportunities are discouraged. This results in an
underinvestment in infrastructure such as information systems and warehousing facilities.
Organizational culture and high employee turnover humanitarian organizations are defined by
their personnel, who share a common value system relating to the alleviation of suffering of
victims of disasters and humanitarian emergencies. People who choose a career in this world
come from diverse and varied backgrounds. sample of head logisticians included an actor, nurse
and a country manager. These people are driven by a desire to resolve crises and do good in the
world; neither their backgrounds nor their values are geared toward process improvement.
The organizational culture and high employee turnover create an environment in which there is
a lack of institutional learning.
With the emerging competition for funding among major relief organizations, the heads of
logistics tend to each fight their own battles with little collaboration. Although many of them
face the same challenges and know each other, they do not often meet or talk to one another

20. THE PATH FORWARD: MAKING
LOGISTICS STRATEGIC
Establishing a community of practice will enable humanitarian logisticians to
share knowledge and experience on common issues and to work together to
create one voice with donors and partners.
Formalizing knowledge management will overcome, to some extent, the lack
of institutional knowledge that occurs because of high employee turnover by
capturing and disseminating knowledge in an organized way.
Developing flexible technology solutions will improve responsiveness by
creating visibility of the materials pipeline and increasing the effectiveness
of people and processes.
Focusing on metrics, performance measurement and learning capabilities
will empower logisticians to continuously improve the effectiveness of relief
operations and to create the powerful story that is needed to overcome
funding constraints to convince donors that investing general funds in
disaster preparedness is a wise use of funds and will have greater impact at
less cost than funding a narrower range of activities.
Effective use of voice will enable logisticians to create awareness of the

21. FIGURE 1. HUMANITARIAN SECTOR
FUNDING FLOWS

22. HUMANITARIAN LOGISTICS: CORE
CHALLENGES
Lack of Recognition of the Importance of Logistics: Most
humanitarian organizations have two broad categories of activities:
programs and support services.
Lack of Professional.
Inadequate Use of Technology
Lack of Institutional Learning
Limited Collaboration

23. THE PATH FORWARD
This section details five strategies we recommend for moving forward
to improve humanitarian logistics:
1. Creating a professional logistics community.
2. Investing in standardized training and certification.
3. Focusing on metrics and performance measurement
4. Communicating the strategic importance of logistics
5. Developing flexible technology solutions

25. CASE STUDY OF ZIMBABWEAN
INTRODUCTION
When humanitarian disasters occur, organisations respond by
delivering aid to people in need. Their supply chains need to be both
fast and agile, responding to sudden-onset disasters, which may
occur in cities or in far places like rural areas in a developing country.
It involves organizational components such as procurement,
transportation, warehousing, inventory management, tracking and
tracing, bidding and reverse bidding, reporting and accountability to
address emergency needs.

26. AS DESCRIBED BY THE UNITED NATIONS JOINT
LOGISTICS CENTRE (UNJLC), HUMANITARIAN
LOGISTICS DURING EMERGENCIES REQUIRES
delivery of the appropriate supplies in good condition, when and where they are needed
a wide range of transport, often improvised at the local level
limited, rapid, and specific deliveries from outside the area affected
a system of prioritising various relief inputs
storing, staging, and moving bulk commodities
moving people
The main factors in the operating environment which shape the response to humanitarian
crises are:
capacity of the infrastructure
availability and quantity of transport assets in the country
politics of the situation
civil conflict in the area of operations (UNJLC, 2008).

27. HUMANITARIAN LOGISTICS AT THE
WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME IN
ZIMBABWE
Humanitarian logistics is very important for the World Food
Programme (WFP) because lives depend on it. It is one of the world’s
largest humanitarian aid organisations and the United Nations’
largest frontline relief agency.

28. GENERAL WFP OPERATIONS
WORLDWIDE AND IN ZIMBABWE
WFP logistics has over 2 000 employees worldwide and its supply
chain begins by procuring privately or by receiving aid from
government and donors. The cargo is shipped using trucks,
helicopters, scotch carts and even animals such as elephants and
donkeys among many other modes.

29. PROBLEMS AND CHALLENGES
FACED BY WFP ZIMBABWE
Distribution of food aid (maize, maize meal, peanuts and cooking oil)
in Zimbabwe is affected by a number of factors that include the
nature of existing roads, dust roads or gravel roads and their
condition. The road condition varies seasonally and yearly especially
after the rainy season.

30. HUMANITARIAN LOGISTICS AT
ZIMBABWE RED CROSS SOCIETY
The International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent
Societies (IFRC) is regarded as being the world’s largest humanitarian
organisation, with 186 member national societies. The organisation is
guided by the seven fundamental principles of humanity, impartiality,
neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity and universality
(IFRC, 2010).

31. PROBLEMS AND CHALLENGES
FACED BY THE ZRCS
The Society faces several problems and challenges in both its
operational programmes and logistical operations as follows:
The rapid increase of beneficiaries in the communities has resulted in
increased pressure on the Society. Extra funds need to be sourced to
cater for the growth and these are sometimes unavailable.
There is an increase of HIV/AIDS cases stretching the limited
resources.
Lack of safe drinking water in many rural areas is causing health
problems.

32. GENERAL WHO OPERATIONS
WORLDWIDE AND IN ZIMBABWE
It has become more evident in the new millennium that health is a
shared responsibility. There is therefore need for equitable access to
essential health care and collective defence against transnational
health threats like the evolving strains of influenza.

33. PROBLEMS AND CHALLENGES
FACED BY WHO IN ZIMBABWE
The serious logistical problems and challenges facing WHO in Zimbabwe
include:
Hospital service quality in the country has become very poor. Most of the
hospitals, including the country’s referral centres, are inadequately equipped
to cater for epidemics.
Access to health services by people in dire need is very poor due to the
deteriorating transportation infrastructure and lack of affordability.
The lack of coordination among agencies due to poor communication
networks in the country has limited the effectiveness of the organisation in
its effort to ensure basic health services to the population.
There is limited access to primary health care.
The exodus of medical professionals to other countries has created a serious
manpower shortage.

34. GENERAL UNICEF OPERATIONS
WORLDWIDE AND IN ZIMBABWE
Aid from donor countries is transported normally by ship to the ports
closest to the target country – Beira and Durban in the case of
Zimbabwe and other Southern African countries. Important areas of
focus are the state of the infrastructure such as roads, security,
legislative issues and speed of customs clearance.

35. HUMANITARIAN LOGISTICS AT
UNICEF ZIMBABWE
UNICEF is an integral member organisation of the United Nations (UN)
and is mandated by the United Nations General Assembly to advocate
for the protection of children’s rights, to help meet their basic needs
and expand their opportunities to reach their full potential.

36. PROBLEMS AND CHALLENGES
FACED BY UNICEF IN ZIMBABWE
The challenges faced in Zimbabwe include the geographical barriers
with donor countries; archaic political and legislative practices
adopted in the country; dilapidated infrastructure; and different
cultural norms

37. HUMANITARIAN LOGISTICS AT THE
ZIMBABWE CIVIL PROTECTION
ORGANISATION
Many countries have set up protection organisations that focus on
response preparedness, coordination of different humanitarian
organisations and assistance in disaster recovery. The Zimbabwe Civil
Protection Organisation (ZCPO) is an example.

38. SUGGESTED SOLUTIONS,
RECOMMENDATIONS AND
CONCLUSION
Suggested solutions for WFP
It was discovered that most of the people employed as logisticians at
the WFP Zimbabwe were not formally trained in humanitarian
logistics. Competency-based capacity-building initiatives and
mechanisms need to be developed and supported so that
humanitarian logisticians’ skills and know-how are raised to
professional levels, and supported by appropriate training discipline,
accreditation and continuous professional development to meet the
evolving systems and challenges.

39. Suggested solutions for the Zimbabwe Red Cross
Society
The ZRCS needs to create more assistance lines by having updated
appeals to the regional and international federations of Red Cross
societies to better match existing demand. There might be a need to
focus on either HIV/AIDS prevention or mitigation (antiretroviral
distribution) to optimise resource use.

40. Suggested solutions for the WHO in Zimbabwe
The following are suggested to reduce WHO logistics challenges in
Zimbabwe: Ensure hospital service quality improves in many affected
areas; rehabilitate critical hospitals especially referral centres in the
main cities; encourage partnerships with governments, NGOs and the
private sector in health assurance and delivery; maintain health
experts and surveillance on epidemics; provide an adequate back-
bone of medical supplies and logistics; agree on priorities between
parties and establish coordination and joint action.

41. Suggested solutions for UNICEF Zimbabwe
UNICEF has tried to reduce the risk of these challenges by forming
effective partnerships, by the presence of its employees on the
ground and through nurturing good relations with governments, local
authorities, NGOs and other civil organisations in the country.
Suggested solutions for the ZCPO
The management systems of the ZCPO need to be improved to reduce
or eliminate any leakages through theft and corruption. There is also
a need to decentralise authority and put in place effective
humanitarian logistics management systems to avoid corruption,
ineffectiveness and inefficiency. It might be necessary for the ZCPO to
have their own small fleet of vehicles and then get extra help later
when the most critical decisions and implementation steps have been
taken.

42. CONCLUSION
This case studies for humanitarian logistics operations in a number of
organisations that operate in Zimbabwe.
The recommendations contribute to further discussion and dialogue
on the development of collaborative networks that can assist in
attending to the challenges that are faced by humanitarian
organisations’ logistics operations.
Lessons from the Zimbabwean experience can be extended to assist
in informing decision-making in humanitarian logistics in other
African countries and worldwide.

43. THE END THANKS…