Background
In recent years defence politics and strategies in most advanced countries have changed from primarily dealing with homeland defence to focus more on multinational operations such as UN mandated peacekeeping or peace enforcement operations. Conflict and violence are currently on the rise, with many conflicts today waged between non-state actors such as political militias, criminal, and international terrorist groups (UN, 2021). Unresolved regional tensions, a breakdown in the rule of law, absent or co-opted state institutions, illicit economic gain, and the scarcity of resources exacerbated by climate change, have become dominant drivers of conflict. However, as noted by (Altay et al., 2021) “By and large, however, the discipline has still ignored the area of conflicts, wars and complex emergencies”.
Research themes
We invite conceptual papers, qualitative or quantitative analysis research, and case studies that reflect established and/or emerging insights into conflict zones and complex emergencies of those involved within the field of humanitarian logistics. In doing so, we would welcome contributions across a wide range of issues, including but not limited to:
- Access to beneficiaries
- Mechanisms to circumvent Anti Access / Area Denial (A2/AD) to reach population.
- The humanitarian space (neutrality, impartiality): what trade-offs when humanitarian logistics depends on protection from, and the goodwill of an active armed part
- The logistics of convoys, including security considerations
- Access within the conflict zone and complex emergency
- People – Local/International
- Supplies
- Transportation
- Local sourcing in conflict zones
- Import/export restrictions
- Freedom of movement of logistics personnel
- Custom clearance
- Political considerations
- Coordination in country between NGOs / communication with government
- Provide aid in conflict zonesCash distribution in conflict zones
- Supplies distribution in conflict zones
- Medlog in conflict,
- Protection of civilians / aid workersEvacuations – Afghanistan
- Investigate how a host nation supports the population in areas controlled by rebel groups
- Investigate how freedom fighters support the population in geographical areas under their control
- Women, peace & security (WPS) from a logistical perspective
- Kids
- Crime in humanitarian logisticsThe issue of black markets and the informal economy
- Trafficking and slavery as workforce in the supply chain
- Looting of supplies and logistics resources
- Corruption at all level
- Securing convoys
Submission information
Submissions to this journal are made through the ScholarOne submission system. Please visit the author guidelines for the journal before submission.
Guest editors
Prof. Graham Heaslip, Galway Mayo institute of Technology, Ireland and Hanken School of Economics, Helsinki, Finland [email protected]
Tore Listou, Norwegian Defence University College, Naval Acdemy , Norway, [email protected]
Per Skoglund, Swedish Defence University, Sweden, [email protected]
Ioanna Falgara Sigala, Hanken School of Economics, Helsinki, Finland, [email protected]
