Logistics planning of cash transfer to Syrian refugees in Turkey

• Published in: European journal of operational research Vol. 296; no. 3; pp. 1007 - 1024
• Main Authors: Kian, Ramez, Erdoğan, Güneş, de Leeuw, Sander, Sibel Salman, F., Sabet, Ehsan, Kara, Bahar Y., Demir, Muhittin H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.02.2022
• Subjects: Cash-based interventions; Humanitarian logistics; Location-routing; Syrian refugee crisis; Humanitarian logistics; Cash-based interventions; Syrian refugee crisis; Location-routing
• ISSN: 0377-2217; 1872-6860
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ejor.2021.04.054

•Cash-based interventions (CBI) play an important role in aiding people post-crisis.•There is limited research supporting the roll-out of cash-based interventions.•CBI refugee coverage is optimized using bi-objective mathematical programming.•CBI delivery capacity will be underutilized if mobile facilities are not deployed.•Having few facilities open for a long period is better than many for a short period. This paper addresses a humanitarian logistics problem connected with the Syrian refugee crisis. The ongoing conflict in Syria has caused displacement of millions of people. Cash-based interventions play an important role in aiding people in the post-crisis period to enhance their well-being in the medium and longer term. The paper presents a study on how to design a network of administrative facilities to support the roll-out of cash-based interventions. The resulting multi-level network consists of a central registration facility, local temporary facilities, mobile facilities and vehicles for door-to-door visits. The goal is to reach the maximum number of eligible beneficiaries within a specified time period while minimizing logistics costs, subject to a limit on total security risk exposure. A mixed integer programming model is formulated to optimize the inter-related facility location and routing decisions under multiple objectives. The authors develop a hierarchical multi-objective metaheuristic algorithm to obtain efficient solutions. An application of the model and the solution algorithm to real data from a region in the southeast of Turkey is presented, with associated managerial insights.