The Trembling Iron Island: The 2018 Sulawesi Earthquake and Tsunami

In the aftermath of the Sulawesi earthquake and tsunami in 2018, lives are at stake, infrastructure is damaged, coordination is limited and information is scarce. It is in this environment that humanitarian organizations have to operate in order to assist affected people in disaster-struck areas. The case follows the complex challenges confronting an international non-governmental organization (INGO) organizing a disaster response from HQ to provide aid to the victims in Indonesia.

• Explore how humanitarian logistics resembles and deviates from supply chains in the commercial sector. What can business learn from such operations and what can it teach? • Understand the importance of preparedness in humanitarian supply chains, especially the need for building local capacity. • Grasp the complexity of delivering supplies in a disaster setting. • Explain the issue of material convergence and how coordination is vital to ensure that emergency relief items flow properly through the supply chain. • Reflect on the effects of strict national regulations on international humanitarian assistance.