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holding and shortage cost for each category. The efficient points and the efficient
frontier assist to characterize “best” feasible solutions in multiobjective models. Cat-
egory A illustrates the efficient frontier for 0 - 1 million people affected, category B
between 1 million - 2 million people, category C between 2 million - 3 million
people and category D between 3 million and 4 million people affected. The four
categories are given in Figure 2, illustrating that with each category the number of aid
supplies will increase, increasing the overall costs of a pre-positioning facility. The
categories can be used as a decision tool to determine the quantities of supplies to be
kept within an acceptable budget.
Fig. 2.
Efficient frontier for each category
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Conclusion and Future Work
The aim of this paper is to show how mathematical modeling can provide strategic
decision support for selecting the required amount and types of aid supplies, and the
most appropriate quantities of pre-positioning facilities within Somalia.
The models address the concerns of feasibility, consistency and completeness.
From a decision-maker's point of view, the model can serve as a convenient guideline
to assist with planning of types and quantities of aid supplies that should be kept for
sufficient preparedness. The results of the model indicate that workable solutions
have been identified, which have unveiled the possibility to increase the use of opera-
tional research methods to enhance disaster relief decision making.
Future research developments can complement this work by gathering data from
other countries and applying the models to the pre-selected regions. It is also neces-
sary to optimal man-power required during and after a disaster has occurred and final-
ly, risk factors need to be incorporated as part of the formulation.
