PANAMA CLUSTERING MODEL FOR DISASTER PREPARATION AND HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE IN LATIN AMERICA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18623/rvd.v23.n4.4643Keywords:
Disaster, Risk Reduction, Humanitarian Logistics, Relief, Emergency ResponseAbstract
The January 2010 Haiti earthquake was a gamechanger in the humanitarian assistance management mechanisms. This event boosted a massive response of international collaboration, but limited capacity for organizing humanitarian aid collapsed the effective delivery of this cooperation. Faced by this case and the growing number of disasters, the Government of Panama proposed the establishment of the Regional Logistics Center for Humanitarian Assistance (CLRAH). The purpose of this study is to describe the operational structure, activation mechanisms, and impact of CLRAH as a clustering model of shared-use facilities driven by the country’s logistics capacity that promotes strategic alliances for an effective and timely response of humanitarian aid in Latin America. This study adopted an exploratory descriptive approach. Through the CLRAH, Panama has fostered a humanitarian ecosystem with a defined number of facilities supporting humanitarian logistics. IFRC, UNHRD, SINAPROC, and strategic partners strengthen this clustering model by centralizing common activities, sharing best practices, supporting each other’s operations, and taking advantage of economies of scale through their organic operating synergies. The pandemic and recent natural events have demonstrated the effectiveness of CLRAH, but new challenges question the need for expansion and more capacity.
References
Akgün, T. Gümüşbuğa, F., & Tansel, B. (2015). Risk based facility location by using fault tree analysis in disaster management. Omega, 52, 168-179. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.omega.2014.04.003
Alvarez, H., & Serrato, M. (2013). Social Network Analysis for Humanitarian Logistics Operations in Latin America, 2013 Industrial and Systems Engineering Research Conference. Krishnamurthy, A., & Chan, W. K. V. (Eds.).
Aslan, E., & Ҫelik, M. (2019). Pre-positioning of relief items under road/facility vulnerability with concurrent restoration and relief transportation. IISE Transactions, 51(8), 847-868. https://doi.org/10.1080/24725854.2018.1540900
Beamon, B.M., & Kotleba, S.A. (2006). Inventory modelling for complex emergencies in humanitarian relief operations. International Journal of Logistics Research and Applications, 9 (1), 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1080/13675560500453667
Balcik, B., & Beamon, B.M. (2008). Facility location in humanitarian relief. International Journal of Logistics Research and Applications, 11(2), 101-121. https://doi.org/10.1080/13675560701561789
Bird M.D., Arispe, S., Muñoz, P., & Freier, L.F. (2023). Trust, social protection, and compliance: Moral hazard in Latin America during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, 206, 279-295. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jebo.2022.12.010
Boonmee, C., Arimura, M., & Asada, T. (2017). Facility location optimization model for emergency humanitarian logistics. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 24, 485-498. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2017.01.017
Castillo, J.M., Guerra Castillo, Z.Y., Arosemena, P.A., & Kelso, A.C. (2018). Value-added logistics services potential after Panama Canal expansion, Yoshizaki, H.Y., Velásquez, J.C., Argueta, C.M. (Eds.) Supply Chain Management and Logistics in Latin America: A Multi-Country Perspective, Emerald Publishing Limited. Bingley, 55-75. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-78756-803-720181005
Campbell, A.M., & Jones, P.C. (2011). Prepositioning supplies in preparation for disasters. European Journal of Operational Research, 209(2), 156-165. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2010.08.029
CRED - Center for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters. (2022). EM-DAT. The International Disaster DataBase. Available at: https://www.emdat.be
CLRAH - Centro Logístico Regional de Asistencia Humanitaria. (2025). Hub Humanitario de las Américas. Available at: https://www.mingob.gob.pa/hub-humanitario/
CLRAH - Centro Logístico Regional de Asistencia Humanitaria. (2024a). Cronología del Hub Humanitario. Available at: https://www.mingob.gob.pa/hub-humanitario/cronologia-del-hub-humanitario/
CLRAH - Centro Logístico Regional de Asistencia Humanitaria. (2024b). Misión y Visión. Available at: https://www.mingob.gob.pa/hub-humanitario/mision-y-vision/
CLRAH - Centro Logístico Regional de Asistencia Humanitaria. (2023). CLRAH en imágenes, 4 (6). Available at: https://www.mingob.gob.pa/hub-humanitario/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2023/01/CLRAH-en-Imagenes-nov-dic_2022.pdf
CLRAH - Centro Logístico Regional de Asistencia Humanitaria. (2021). Servicios Logísticos. Activación y Accesos. Available at: https://www.mingob.gob.pa/hub-humanitario/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2021/09/Documento_Mecanismo-de-Activacion_CLRAH_Version-Final.pdf
Di Pasquale, V., Fruggiero, F., & Iannone, R. (2020). A numerical approach for inventory pre-positioning in emergency management. Journal of Humanitarian Logistics and Supply Chain Management, 10(2), 205-230. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHLSCM-07-2019-0043
Diehlmann, F., Lüttenberg, M., Verdonck, L., Wiens, M., Zienau, A., & Schultmann, F. (2021). Public-private collaborations in emergency logistics: A framework based on logistical and game-theoretical concepts. Safety Science, 141, 105301. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2021.105301
Dufour, E., Laporte, G., Paquette, J., & Rancourt, M.E. (2018). Logistics services network design for humanitarian response in East Africa. Omega, 74, 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.omega.2017.01.002
Georgia Tech Panama Logistics and Innovation Research Center. (2024). Panama Logistics Platform. Available at: https://logistics.gatech.pa/en/
Gonzalez-Perez, M.A., Mohieldin, M., Hult, G.T.M., & Velez-Ocampo, J. (2021). COVID-19, sustainable development challenges of Latin America and the Caribbean, and the potential engines for an SDGs-based recovery. Management Research, 19(1), 22-37. https://doi.org/10.1108/MRJIAM-12-2020-1119
IATA – International Air Transport Association. (2021). Air Connectivity. Measuring the connections that drive economic growth. Available at: https://www.iata.org/en/iata-repository/publications/economic-reports/air-connectivity-measuring-the-connections-that-drive-economic-growth/
IFRC – International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. (2023a). Our Work. Available at: https://www.ifrc.org/our-work/disasters-climate-and-crises/supporting-local-humanitarian-action
IFRC – International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. (2023b). National Societies in America. Available at: https://www.ifrc.org/national-societies-directory/Americas
IFRC – International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. (2011). Haiti: Earthquake - Operations Update no. 27, June 16, 2011.
IHC – International Humanitarian City. (2023). About IHC – IHC at a glance. Available at: https://www.ihc.ae/ihc-at-a-glance/
Kirsch, T., Sauer, L., & Guha Sapir, D. (2012). Analysis of the International and US Response to the Haiti Earthquake: Recommendations for Change. Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness, 6(3), 200-208. https://doi.org/10.1001/dmp.2012.48
Kovács, G., & Spens, K. (2009). Identifying challenges in humanitarian logistics. International Journal of Physical Distribution and Logistics Management, 39(6), 506-528. https://doi.org/10.1108/09600030910985848
Kovács, G., & Spens, K. (2007). Humanitarian logistics in disaster relief operations. International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, 37(2), 99-114. https://doi.org/10.1108/09600030710734820
Law 80 (2017). Whereby the Regional Logistics Center for Humanitarian Assistance is created. December 14, 2017, Official Gazette No. 28426-A, Panama.
Malmir, B., & Zobel, C.W. (2021). An applied approach to multi-criteria humanitarian supply chain planning for pandemic response. Journal of Humanitarian Logistics and Supply Chain Management, 11(2), 320-346. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHLSCM-08-2020-0064
Marceline, L.H., & Cela, T. (2017). After Hurricane Matthew: Resources, Capacities, and Pathways to reconstruction of Devastated Communities in Haiti. Interuniversity Institute for Research and Development, Researchgate.net. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.33455.12968
Mendel, K. Kousar, R., & Massod, T. (2020). A collaboration-resilience framework for disaster management supply network: a case study of the Philippines. Journal of Humanitarian Logistics and Supply Chain Management, 10(4), 509-553. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHLSCM-09-2019-0066
Moreira, L.d.S., Mendes, D.M.G., Fontainha, T.C., & Leiras, A. (2022). Managerial models for disaster and humanitarian operations: enhancing empirical validation through case studies of disaster responses in Haiti. Journal of Humanitarian Logistics and Supply Chain Management, 12(3), 359-381. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHLSCM-02-2021-0015
Nawazish, M., Padhi, S.S., & Edwin Cheng, T.C. (2022). Stratified delivery aid plans for humanitarian aid distribution centre selection. Computers and Industrial Engineering, 171, 108451. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cie.2022.108451
Nevraumont, R. (2016). Exploring the effectiveness of humanitarian NGO-private sector collaborations – interesting & unlikely alliances? Proceedings of the 6th International Disaster and Risk Conference: Integrative Risk Management – Towards Resilient Cities, IDRC Davos 2016, 452-455.
Nezih, A., & Labonte, M. (2014). Challenges in humanitarian information management and exchange: Evidence from Haiti. Disasters, 38 (S1), s50-s72. https://doi.org/10.1111/disa.12052
Oloruntoba, R., & Gray, R. (2006). Humanitarian aid: An agile supply chain? Supply Chain Management, 11(2), 115-120. https://doi.org/10.1108/13598540610652492
Quesada, F. (2023). Your experience at UNHRD new facilities in the CLRAH, Interviewed by Authors, 12 September 2023.
Rathnayaka, I.W., Khanam, R., & Rahman, M.M. (2023). The economics of COVID-19: a systematic literature review. Journal of Economic Studies, 50(1), 49-72, https://doi.org/10.1108/JES-05-2022-0257
Roh, S., Pettit, S., Harris., I., & Beresford, A. (2015). The pre-positioning of warehouses at regional and local levels for a humanitarian relief organization. International Journal of Production Economics, 170, 616-628. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpe.2015.01.015
Salam M.A., & Khan, S.A. (2020). Lessons from the humanitarian disaster logistics management: A case study of the earthquake in Haiti. Benchmarking: An International Journal, 27(4), 1455-1473. https://doi.org/10.1108/BIJ-04-2019-0165
Shaw, L., Das, S.K., & Roy, S.K. (2022). Location-allocation problem for resource distribution under uncertainty in disaster relief operations. Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, 82, 101232. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seps.2022.101232
Sirbiladze, G., Matsaberidze, B., Ghvaberidze, B., Midodashvili, B., & Mikadze, D. (2021). Fuzzy TOPSIS base selection index in the planning of emergency service facilities locations and goods transportation. Journal of Intelligent and Fuzzy Systems, 41(1), 1949-1962. https://doi.org/10.3233/JIFS-210636
Stienen, V.F., Wagenaar, J.C., den Hertog, D., & Fleuren, H.A. (2021). Optimal depot locations for humanitarian logistics service providers using robust optimization. Omega, 104, 102494. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.omega.2021.102494
Tomasini, R.M., & Van Wassenhove, L.N. (2009). From preparedness to partnerships: Case study research on humanitarian logistics. International Transactions in Operational Research, 16(5), 549-559. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-3995.2009.00697.x
Timperio, G., Panchal, G.B., Samvedi, A., Goh, M., & De Souza, R. (2017). Decision support framework for location selection and disaster relief network design. Journal of Logistics and Supply Chain Management, 7(3), 222-245. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHLSCM-11-2016-0040
Tpyasaki, F., Arikan, E., Silbermayr, L., & Falagara, I. (2016). Disaster Relief Inventory management: Horizontal Cooperation between Humanitarian Organizations. Production and Operations Management, 26(6), 1221-1237. https://doi.org/10.1111/poms.12661.
SINAPROC. (2024). Mission and Vision. Available at: https://www.sinaproc.gob.pa/mision-y-vision/
UNCTAD – United Nations Conference for Trade and Development. (2024). Liner shipping connectivity index. Available at: http://unctadstat.unctad.org/EN/
UNDRR – United Nation Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. (2021). Regional assessment report on disaster risk in Latin America and the Caribbean. Available at: https://www.undrr.org/launch-regional-assessment-report-disaster-risk-latin-america-and-caribbean
UNDRR / CRED – United Nation Office for Disaster Risk Reduction/Center for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters. (2018). Pérdidas económicas, pobreza y desastres 1998-2017 (Economic losses, poverty and disasters 1998-2017). Available at: https://eird.org/americas/docs/perdidas-economicas-pobreza-y-desatres.pdf
UNHRD – United Nations Humanitarian Response Depot. (2023a). Overview: Core business: Stockpiling and Response. Available at: https://unhrd.org/about-us
UNHRD – United Nations Humanitarian Response Depot. (2024). Service Catalogue. Available at: https://unhrd.org/our-services
UNHRD – United Nations Humanitarian Response Depot. (2022). UNHRD Standard Operating Procedures. Available at: https://unhrd.org/sites/default/files/media-document/UNHRD_Standard_Operating_Procedures_2022.pdf
UNOPS - United Nations Office for Project Services. (2012). Regional Logistics Hub for Humanitarian Assistance in Panama. Design Brief, Revision 2, October 2012.
WFP – World Food Program. (2022). UNHRD 2021 Year in Review. April 2022
Ziadah, R. (2019). Circulating Power: Humanitarian Logistics, Militarism, and the United Arab Emirates. Antipode, 51(5), 1684-1702. https://doi.org/10.1111/anti.12547
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
I (we) submit this article which is original and unpublished, of my (our) own authorship, to the evaluation of the Veredas do Direito Journal, and agree that the related copyrights will become exclusive property of the Journal, being prohibited any partial or total copy in any other part or other printed or online communication vehicle dissociated from the Veredas do Direito Journal, without the necessary and prior authorization that should be requested in writing to Editor in Chief. I (we) also declare that there is no conflict of interest between the articles theme, the author (s) and enterprises, institutions or individuals.
I (we) recognize that the Veredas do Direito Journal is licensed under a CREATIVE COMMONS LICENSE.
Licença Creative Commons Attribution 3.0
