Characterization of the Key Actors Involved in Humanitarian Supply Chains at the Local Level From a Theoretical and Academic Perspective

The incremental trends in the amount of human and material losses, added to a higher frequency of natural disasters, have generated greater interest from different sectors regarding the processes of disaster management. In this sense, it is recognized that the context of disasters is strongly marked by the high diversity and quantity of actors which seek common or conflicting objectives. The aim of this chapter is to present the actors involved in the humanitarian supply chains (HSC) and to highlight the importance of key local actors involved in disaster preparedness and response, the latter from an inter-sectoral perspective towards the importance implied by the coordination of the key actors in terms of the humanitarian purposes. The discussion developed allows for the inference about the critical role of local actors in disaster management and HSC, as well as several topics for the theoretical development of humanitarian logistics, such as the application of decision tools and information technologies, and the use of sustainability approach for disaster management.