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The Logistics of Humanitarian Emergencies: Notes From the Field
Author(s) -
McClintock Andrew
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
journal of contingencies and crisis management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.007
H-Index - 51
eISSN - 1468-5973
pISSN - 0966-0879
DOI - 10.1111/j.1468-5973.2009.00587.x
Subject(s) - humanitarian logistics , work (physics) , supply chain , business , joint (building) , field (mathematics) , distribution (mathematics) , operations management , political science , engineering , process management , marketing , civil engineering , mechanical engineering , mathematical analysis , mathematics , pure mathematics
Well‐ managed logistics (an effective supply‐chain), is central to any disaster response. Professionalism of this discipline – in theory and in practice ‐ has improved much western manufacturing and distribution. In emergencies, especially when they occur in the third world, where the infrastructure is less developed and there is urgent pressure for results, it is different: at the high level especially, as in United Nations' Joint Logistics Centre, there is attention to good practice, but more is needed in the operations of Non‐Governmental Organisations (NGOs). This article, written in the light of both theoretical study of the discipline and practical experience of African and Asian field‐logistics, describes some of its distinctive features, when finely‐pitched arrangements do not work.