Distribution of humanitarian aid considering accessibility limitations due to transitory road disruptions

Abstract

This paper presents a humanitarian aid distribution framework designed to address accessibility limitations caused by temporary road disruptions. The proposed mathematical programming model minimizes total arrival time at delivery points while considering route continuity, vehicle scheduling, fleet capacity, and road repair progress. Validation was performed using a real-world case study, and scenario analyses were conducted to assess the impact of variations in fleet availability, road damage ratios, and repair times on total arrival time. The results revealed that synchronizing the departure and arrival times of vehicles at each destination node based on the progress of road repairs can minimize the time required for aid vehicles to reach the destination nodes, offering practical applications for improving logistical processes. This approach contributed to understanding the impact of road disruptions and the progress of road restoration activities on the configuration of humanitarian aid distribution routes and the overall operation time. As an additional contribution, a methodological approach was considered for establishing the arrival and departure times of a limited number of vehicles to demand points, taking into account the expected completion times of repair operations on affected roads.