The supply chain of relief materials: a guideline for container ports in Sub-Saharan Africa

[摘要] ENGLISH SUMMARY : In a world of growing crisis, both natural and political, the operation of humanitarian organizations, which provide relief to critically affected communities, have become increasingly significant. With the increased relevance of disaster relief and development programs on a global scale, more and more research is being conducted to improve the efficiency of humanitarian logistics around the world.Disasters can wipe out decades of progress and development in just a few seconds. The impact in terms of both death and economic losses is increasing substantially. In 2008, for Sub-Saharan Africa, the death toll from natural disasters trebled to 235 000 from an annual average of 66 000 over the period of 2000–2007.The increase in the spate of disasters in Sub-Saharan Africa continues to generate interest particularly in the supply chain of relief materials to the victims of disasters. However, little work has been done on humanitarian logistics in developing countries. This identifies the importance of conducting research on supply chain management specifically for the handling of relief materials in developing countries.Ports have a role to play in the supply chain of relief materials. Maritime transport is the most cost-effective mode of transporting the relief materials from the port of origin to the port of destination. Once the goods arrive at the local port of entry, there is a need for the goods to be cleared at the port of destination with as little effort as possible. Therefore, this thesis looks at ways of reducing the cargo dwell time at the ports, especially for relief cargoes that require expedition.The importance of this research lies in the development of a framework and guideline for the handling of disaster relief materials in Sub-Saharan African ports. This framework and guideline, if adopted, will help streamline the supply chain of relief materials, thereby saving costs for all the maritime stakeholders including shipping lines whose vessels will spend less time in ports. The guideline will streamline the processes and reduce cargo dwell time. It will also provide a forum for improving supply chain management through collaboration.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University