Sustainability in humanitarian supply chains: Perspectives and challenges

Abstract

Humanitarian supply chains aim to mitigate the damage caused by conflicts and disasters by providing aid in the form of food, medicine, shelter, etc; by integrating sustainability aspects, it means maintaining a balance between the environmental, economic and social dimensions. The objective of this study is to analyze the perspectives and challenges around humanitarian and sustainable supply chains through the methodology structured review of literature on the theme of Humanitarian and Sustainable Supply Chains. The results show efforts to measure performance and sustainability, improve design or configuration, streamline transportation, characterize key stakeholders, and manage waste, among others. It is considered an emerging issue that will require, among others, the approach of amortization of supply and demand and reverse logistics associated with disaster waste management. There is an urgent need to generate knowledge around the issue in order to safeguard life and effectively manage the flow of aid before, during and after disasters.