Purpose

Disasters around world claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and led to US$1.5 trillion lost between 2005 and 2015, according to The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. On the other hand, as much as 80 percent of disaster relief expenditures go toward logistics. Therefore, humanitarian logistics is a key element of a disaster relief process. The purpose of this special issue is to publish rigorous research around emerging themes in the area of Humanitarian logistics, such 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 point of origin to the point of consumption for the purpose of alleviating the suffering of vulnerable people.

We would welcome contribuAons across a wide range of issues. Topics for this SI may include but are not limited to:

• ●  Humanitarian logistics and supply chain management

• ●  The use of technology enable real-time monitoring

• ●  Humanitarian operations evaluation

• ●  Coordination within organizations and collaboration among organizations

• ●  Predictive analytics for demand planning

• ●  Inventory planning and control

• ●  Transportation networks design and vehicle routing

• ●  Medical supply delivery