Logistics Management and SCM in Disasters

An understanding of supply chain management warrants a familiarity with basic definitions involved. “A crisis results in extensive human suffering, property damage, and a disruption of society. This stretches the community’s coping mechanism beyond the breaking point. Crisis not only refers to an unexpected catastrophe, but also to the slow build-up of environmental, political, or economic factors that act on a society’s vulnerabilities” (Blaikie et al. 1994). “The event becomes a disaster when the community’s capacity to cope is overwhelmed and the status quo becomes untenable. The situation is then declared an emergency, and assistance is requested. Disasters happen when hazards meet exposure due to vulnerability” (Russell 2005).