Logistics system for drinking water distribution in post disaster humanitarian relief, Al-Za’atari camp

Abstract

Purpose It is essential to provide drinking water to affected population directly after a disaster. The purpose of this paper is to develop an optimization methodology that helps in the distribution of drinking water in post-disaster situations. Design/methodology/approach The research was conducted on two phases: phase 1 aims at identifying an appropriate way to deliver drinking water to refugee camps from external sources, considering required drinking water quantities and four possible sources of water with respect to cost and risk assessments. Phase 2 investigates drinking water distribution within a refugee camp using covering models. The MCLP–optimal number of facilities model is proposed to ensure that the water is distributed and delivered to all individuals in a camp with minimum number of water storage tanks required. A control policy is proposed to ensure the fair distribution of water to all targeted individuals. Findings Al-Za’atari refugee camp, located in northeast of Jordan, was considered as the case study for this research. The result showed that the appropriate way to deliver water to the camp is by using tanker–trucks, and a minimum number of five tanks are required to distribute water to individuals inside the camp with respect to tank locations and the allocation of tank of each area. Originality/value The proposed methodology is essential in decision making for the distribution of drinking water in refugee camps in short-term needs. The model adds important value to the literature as the proposed problem has no solution in the literature before.