Donation management in disaster relief operations: A survey

Abstract

Donations play a crucial part in disaster relief operations since many of Humanitarian Organizations operate exclusively with donated resources. Donations can be made in-cash or in-kind, and depending on the situation, both present some advantages and disadvantages to their management in times of crisis. In this chapter, we explore some of the characteristics of both types of donations, the impact each one has on the general operations, and some challenges that they could present on the Humanitarian Organizations. Finally, a survey of the current state of the art is performed. This research presents a total of 24 papers that discuss different areas concerning donation management and prediction. The papers included are classified mainly according to the type of donation, and research focus, the latter being either Donations' Analysis and Modeling or Donations Management and Material Convergence. The literature review clearly reflects the lack of research that has been made towards donations. Considering the relevance they have on real-life operations, it is motivated to continue this line of research.