In English-language publications, humanitarian logistics can be defined as: “[…] the process of planning, implementing and controlling the efficient, cost-effective flow and storage of goods and materials, as well as related information, from the point of origin to the point of consumption for the purpose of alleviating human suffering”. A similar definition of humanitarian logistics is presented by A. Thomas and L. Kopczak; it is “[…] the process of planning, implementing and then controlling the efficient, cost-effective flow, storage and delivery of various types of goods, as well as the necessary information from the point of origin to the point of consumption, in order to alleviate the suffering of vulnerable people”. This flow includes a wide range of activities, including preparation, planning, procurement of goods, transport, warehousing, tracking and monitoring, distribution, and customs activities. In a slightly earlier study, A. Thomas defines humanitarian logistics as “[…] the process of planning, implementing and controlling the efficient, rational and financially effective flow and storage of goods and materials and related information from the point of origin to the point of destination, aimed at meeting the expectations of the final beneficiary”.
The cited author and L. Fritz write: “[…] humanitarian logistics is one of the most important segments in the entire aid chain, because firstly, it determines an effective and rapid response to humanitarian programs, secondly, shipment preparation and transport are usually the most expensive activities in providing aid, and thirdly, it is a treasure trove of information critical for conducting such operations in the future”. G. Kovacs and K. M. Spens, before presenting their definition, point to pairs of keywords that form the basis of their interpretation. These words are: humanitarianism and logistics, humanitarian aid and supply chain, disaster and logistics, disaster and supply chain, recovery and supply chain, disaster and logistics, disaster and supply chain. The integration of these concepts allowed the authors to clearly indicate two main streams of humanitarian logistics activities. The first is related to continuous, systematic aid for threatened regions, and the second concerns providing aid resulting from unexpected, extraordinary disasters. Regardless of this cross-section, H. W. Lee and M. Zbinden distinguish three stages of operations related to the implementation of humanitarian logistics: the preparation, immediate response, and reconstruction phase (Figure 1), which refers to actions before, during, and after a disaster. Ultimately, G. Kovacs and K. M. Spens state: “[…] humanitarian logistics aims to properly shape the conditions affecting aid supply chains and to establish their main attributes, such as flow speed, effectiveness, readiness, adequacy, or delivery flexibility”. The goal of aid during a disaster, according to the authors, is “[…] to design the transport, first aid materials, food, equipment, rescue personnel, and safe and rapid evacuation of people to aid points”. They also place emphasis on systematizing knowledge about supply chain strategies in humanitarian actions and create an analytical framework for studying elementary issues of supply chains in humanitarian logistics. According to them, humanitarian logistics aims to organize the factors shaping supply chains and to create a list of their main attributes (flow speed, flexibility, etc.). This will allow for the formulation of key decisions in the functioning of supply chains. On the other hand, L. N. v. Wassenhove describes humanitarian logistics as “[…] the process of planning, implementing and controlling the efficient flow and storage of goods and materials, as well as related information, from the point of origin to the point of consumption in order to satisfy the needs of the victims”.
L. N. v. Wassenhove and R. Tomasini, in the first comprehensive work on humanitarian logistics, write: “[…] it is a type of logistics that specializes in organizing deliveries and storing supplies during natural disasters or complex, sudden emergencies in the affected areas, especially with regard to the people living there”. They write: “[…] imagine that logistics was included in the planning of an event like the Olympics. Now imagine planning the same event, but we do not know where it will take place, how many spectators will be present, or how many athletes will compete. The near impossibility of performing this task gives us some insight into the tasks of humanitarian logistics. Flaws in logistics and overlooking its humanitarian context can end in serious consequences for disaster victims, crossing the thin line between life and death”.
The article comes from the journal “Logistyka” 3/2010.