This Paper has won Third Prize in "Opsyrus 2006", the CoolAvenues.com - OIG (IIM Lucknow) Paper Writing Competition held during Oct-Dec 2006.

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Executive Summary

Relief Supply Chains involve the supply of basic necessities to aid victims at the right place in the quickest possible time. In the context of commercial supply chains, relief chains are uniquely characterized by zero lead times, highly uncertain demand pattern, improper logistics and infrastructure facilities, and presence of alternate supply chains operating in parallel.
Moreover, these are multi-commodity supply chains wherein many different products having different value, lifespan, importance and availability. Relief supply chains typically have many participants in terms of commercial and non-commercial organizations, donors, relief workers, military personnel, and the government and the aid victims.

The unique characteristics, activities and participants of relief supply chains raise many issues which impact the efficiency and performance of a relief supply chain. The key issues faced by any supply chain can be grouped into three categories, namely -

Typically, Supply chain activities can be grouped into strategic, tactical, and operational levels of activities. In this context, the key issues in relief supply chains can be discussed vis-à-vis the strategic, tactical or operational nature of the activity. Some of the issues (strategic, tactical and operational) that have been identified vis-à-vis relief supply chains are -

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* Contributed by: -
G. Vamsee Chandra,
IIM, Lucknow.