There are many interesting and tragic aspects to the earthquake in Haiti and its aftermath. From the operational side, the disaster highlights the importance of one of the emerging sub-fields of “humanitarian logistics”.
Both the BBC (“Haiti earthquake maps“) and the Wall Street Journal (“Aid Efforts Face Obstacles in Quake-Ravaged Capital“) devoted articles to the issue documenting the overwhelming logistical tasks presented with the rescuers.
Military and aid groups began to encounter huge obstacles getting relief into the country, less than two days after the earthquake killed an estimated 45,000 to 50,000 people. U.S. military specialists reestablished communications at the Port-au-Prince airport, but a lack of fuel and a crammed tarmac prompted the Haitian government to halt incoming flights. While one airport runway was usable, air-traffic control was limited, able to handle only four aircraft at a time, logistics companies said.
The quake also damaged Haiti’s main port in Port-au-Prince. The port has “collapsed and is not operational,” said Maersk Line’s Mary Ann Kotlarich.
The disarray at the port stands to be a major obstacle to the relief effort, as the U.S. Navy and other ships carrying supplies have nowhere to dock. Numerous maritime companies are trying to devise stop-gap solutions, but nothing is in place yet.
The Operations Room 