Conflict, insecurity, weak institutions and limited access to justice remain a great threat to sustainable development, particularly with current events in Ukraine. We condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine and join the call for an immediate cease fire to protect civilians and restore peace. We stand with the people of Ukraine and are committed to supporting the research and healthcare communities we serve that are impacted by the unfolding humanitarian crisis. To further support all humanitarian efforts, we have created a publicly available special issue focused on the tremendous challenges Ukraine and other countries face to protect human rights and the rule of law as well as the knowledge and solutions that can advance peace and security.
Elsevier, International Journal of Intercultural Relations, Volume 87, March 2022
Although changes in socio-cultural positions appear to take place shortly after arrival, there is a growing concern on socio-cultural differences in receiving societies and it is widely recognized that socio-cultural positions are important for further participation and well-being, few scholars examined socio-cultural positions among recently arrived refugees in Europe. At the same time, not much is known about how these positions relate to pre-migration, migration and post-migration characteristics, while these could be key indicators of early acculturation.
Elsevier, Journal of Transport and Health, Volume 24, March 2022
The ongoing novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has highlighted the need for individuals to have easy access to healthcare facilities for treatment as well as vaccinations. The surge in COVID-19 hospitalizations during 2020 also underscored the fact that accessibility to nearby hospitals for testing, treatment and vaccination sites is crucial for patients with fever or respiratory symptoms. Although necessary, quantifying healthcare access is challenging as it depends on a complex interaction between underlying socioeconomic and physical factors.
Humanitarian aid in disasters is critical to saving lives and alleviating human suffering. This paper presents a novel scenario-based robust bi-objective optimization model that integrates medical facility location, casualty transportation, and relief commodity allocation considering triage. The proposed model aims to minimize the total deprivation cost of casualties due to the delayed access to medical services and the total operation cost.
Elsevier, Internet of Things (Netherlands), Volume 16, December 2021
This study investigates the capabilities, performance outcomes, and barriers of drones applied to humanitarian logistics (HL). A systematic literature review was conducted to synthesize prior research on drones and cumulatively identify current knowledge gaps which require further investigation. In order to identify the relevant literature on the topic, a rigorous research protocol was applied for the retrieval and selection processes. In total, 142 publications fulfilled the selection criteria and were thoroughly analyzed.
Blockchain technology promises to improve the efficiency, transparency, and accountability of humanitarian operations. Yet at the same time, especially the humanitarian context with its characteristic volatility poses unique challenges to any technology. Most prominent are the humanitarian principles that are fundamental to humanitarian operations. These ethical principles are set to protect the most vulnerable populations. Designing blockchain projects in the humanitarian context therefore requires a systematic framework that helps humanitarians make critical choices.
Elsevier, Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Volume 149, May 2021
In this paper, we address the problem of humanitarian aids distribution across refugee camps in war-ridden areas from a network design perspective. We show that the problem can be modeled as a variant of multi-period hub location problem with a particular demand pattern resulted by the user's behavior. The problem has been motivated by a case study of Lebanese experience in Syrian war refugee accommodation. We elaborate on the complexity and real-life constraints and, propose a compact formulation of a mathematical model of the problem.
