Post-disaster need assessment

Abstract

Post-disaster need assessment deals with the accurate assessment of the need (i.e. demand and utility) for emergency resource at the shelters. While demand signifies the amount of resource required, utility represents the exigency of that requirement. Due to lack of, or imprecise need assessments immediately after a disaster, relief requirements are generally set up based on coarse estimates by logisticians regarding what people would normally need. The effectiveness of this estimation depends on the competencies and experience of the logistician in control, often leading to impromptu allocation of typically scarce emergency resources. Thus, forecasting the exact demand and enumerating the correct utility of emergency resources are inevitable.