Logistics and the Effective Delivery of Humanitarian Relief

 The Tsunami that struck south Asia and Africa on Sunday, December 26th, 2004 caused unprecedented destruction to the lives and livelihoods of affected people and communi- ties. As humanitarian organizations mobilized to provide relief in this devastating and chaotic environment, it became apparent that complex supply chains would be crucial for effective relief delivering food, shelter and medical supplies from around the world. As a European Ambassador at a post-Tsunami donor conference said, “We don’t need a donors’ conference, we need a logistics conference”.1 Similarly, a spokesman for Doctors Without Borders, in announcing their decision to stop accepting money for the relief operation, said “What is needed are supply managers without borders: people to sort goods, identify priorities, track deliveries and direct the traffic of a relief effort in full gear”.