THE IMPORTANCE OF DISASTER LOGISTICS

Hüseyin Cahit SOYSAL

UGM Board Member

Disaster logistics management is the planning and supervising of all transportation and storage processes in complete detail before the disaster, from garages and warehouses to the last step, where rescue teams, rescue vehicles, and medical supplies, as well as shelter, clothing, and nutrition products, are delivered to the earthquake zone. Effective delivery and distribution of equipment to disaster areas. With adequately implemented disaster logistics management, it is possible to "intervene in a disaster as soon as possible, save more lives, and minimize the complaints of disaster victims."

The "Eastern Anatolia Earthquake Line," which has been dormant for 500 years, made its presence felt for the first time in 2020 with a 6.5-magnitude earthquake in Elâzığ. Experts stated that an earthquake was expected in the Malatya, Adıyaman, and Kahramanmaraş lines and asked for precautions to be taken.

On the morning of February 6, 2023, the Arabian plate pushed the Anatolian plate 3 meters towards the west. On the same day, two earthquakes occurred centered in Kahramanmaraş, the first measuring 7.7 on the Richter scale and the second measuring 7.6. The tragedy horrified not only Türkiye but the whole world. The earthquakes of February 6, in which approximately 50,000 people died and 200,000 people were injured, took their place in history as the earthquake that caused the most loss of life and injury in the world.

THE MOST CRITICAL PERIOD IS THE FIRST 24 HOURS…

According to the truth accepted worldwide, the most critical period in rescue operations for those trapped under the rubble of an earthquake is the first 24 hours. 48 and 72 hours, respectively, are also very important. A significant portion of those rescued from the rubble in the later hours may suffer from kidney or other organ failure.

CRITICAL ROLE OF CLOSE RESCUE TEAMS

Because of this, the "first response" in earthquakes should be carried out by the nearest rescue teams. We can list the elements that make close rescue teams stand out as follows:

• People in the immediate rescue team can start preparing within a minute because they experienced the earthquake firsthand.
• Some of their equipment is at home. The rescue team member can put on his field suit and helmet with a flashlight, put on the rescue rope over his arm, and go to the meeting place in fifteen minutes.
• Since the team's vehicles will be at the meeting place, they can enter them immediately and move towards the ruins.
• The team is local, so they know the area and the roads very well. Even if the roads are closed due to debris, they reach the aid scene by crossing alternative roads or pedestrian crossing routes.
• The team can arrive at the ruins in twenty to twenty-five minutes and begin rescue activities.

ELEMENTS THAT CHALLENGE EXTERNAL TEAMS…

We can list the factors that make it difficult for rescue teams sent from other provinces or districts to reach the earthquake zone in the first 48 hours as follows:

• Since cable or mobile phone systems fail after the earthquake, news of the earthquake reaches the distant province or district later.
• Remote rescue team members may continue to sleep because they are unaware of the earthquake.
• The team member can probably start getting ready an hour after being woken up by a phone call from the team representative.
• He can go to the meeting place using his home equipment and get ready in fifteen minutes.
• When all members come together, the equipment that cannot be carried by hand is packaged and palletized to prepare it for transportation.
• If a plane can take off immediately, we move towards the region by plane; if not, by road. However, no matter which mode of transportation is used, it is difficult to reach the earthquake zone in less than 5-6 hours after departure.
• Airplane runways may also be cracked, as in Hatay Airport. Highways are more likely to crack and split. For this reason, the remote assistance team may arrive at the earthquake site late because they will have to search for a passage channel on the highways for hours.
• Since the team does not know the local structure and city well, it is unlikely that it will arrive at the task location late.
• In the last earthquake, although the entire team and equipment arrived at the airport within two hours of receiving the news, they were also witnessed waiting unnecessarily for nearly 10 hours due to waiting for other people or equipment.

PRE-AFAD EMASYA PLANS WERE ACTIVE…

Another important issue at the earthquake site is ensuring safety and security. Before the establishment of AFAD, according to EMASYA (Security and Public Order Assistance) plans, local military units were immediately dispersed to their areas of responsibility, which included distributing materials, assisting in rescue efforts, preventing theft, and ensuring life safety.

They would fulfill all their duties. Since these units were based in the region, so they knew their duty areas well.

TAF IN Türkiye's DISASTER RESPONSE PLAN…

With the establishment of AFAD in 2009, a robust "Integrated Disaster Management System" was introduced in accordance with Law No. 5902. This system, which is still in force, positions the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) as a "Support Solution Partner" instead of a "Main Solution Partner". This strategic shift ensures that the Turkish Armed Forces can effectively respond to extraordinary situations such as earthquake disasters to the extent requested, providing a sense of security and reassurance.

On the other hand, gendarmerie units to be dispatched from neighboring provinces or districts are not expected to be as successful as local units in maintaining and rescuing public order, as they need to learn the regional structure and local people profile well enough.

REACH OF RESCUE VEHICLES AND AID TO THE REGION…

However, it cannot be overstated how vital it is that "construction machines and other equipment to be used for rescue purposes" and "pallets of beverages, food and clothing necessary for the survival of earthquake victims" are delivered to the earthquake zone immediately. The urgency is further heightened when considering the need to urgently supply tents and containers for shelter during earthquakes, especially during the winter months. This emphasizes the immediate and pressing nature of the situation, making the audience feel the urgency of their role in the response.

CORRECT MANAGEMENT OF HIGHWAY TRAFFIC DURING DISASTER…

The critical threshold in this area is the congestion caused by the vehicle traffic density five to ten kilometers away from the city on the highways leading to the earthquake-affected provinces or districts. How this vehicle traffic will be managed must also be planned. Otherwise, as happened in the last earthquake, we may be faced with tragic situations such as trucks carrying clothing items, which are of third-degree importance, blocking the way of the cranes that will be used in emergency rescue. During the last earthquake, it was seen that the 'Disaster Safety and Traffic Group' formation included in TAMP was good on paper but dysfunctional in the field due to [specific issues, e.g., lack of coordination, inadequate resources, etc.].

PREVENTING PROBLEMS IN EARTHQUAKE LOGISTICS

All these issues need to be realistically planned and implemented well before an earthquake occurs. This is not just a suggestion, but a necessity to prevent serious problems in earthquake logistics.

In Turkey, on September 14, 2022, the "Turkey Disaster Response Plan" (TAMP) regarding the management of the post-disaster process was approved and entered into force. While TAMP is a significant step, there is ample room for improvement. According to the impact of the disaster, four levels were determined in TAMP. At each of these four levels, which institution and organization will do what, and their duties and responsibilities are explained.

MANY PROVINCES ARE EXPOSED TO DISASTER AT THE SAME TIME…

The plan emphasizes that all national capacities, including the Armed Forces, will participate in the response, especially at the 3rd and 4th levels of the disaster. It states that all public institutions and organizations will act without waiting for instructions.

The South Anatolia Earthquake is a level 4 earthquake. On the other hand, when TAMP's annex no. 2 named "Support Provincial Groups Table" is examined, it is determined only which provinces will be supported by each province in case of disaster; It was observed that there was no mention of which provinces would support which provinces if many provinces were affected by a disaster at the same time. This lack of coordination can lead to severe consequences and needs to be addressed urgently.

This being the case, all relevant units were tried to be directed with instant orders and instructions. Since there was no prior planning, there was a severe conflict between authority and the area, leading to [specific examples, e.g., delays in rescue operations, confusion in resource allocation, etc.]. These conflicts can significantly hinder the effectiveness of the disaster response and recovery efforts.

As an auxiliary solution partner to the Ministry of National Defense in TAMP, the military is assigned crucial tasks such as search and rescue, communication, transportation, security and traffic, health, shelter, evacuation, and placement. Their proactive involvement in these tasks is essential for the effective management of the disaster response and recovery efforts.

According to TAMP, the military is not assigned duty in local-scale disasters of the 1st and 2nd levels, but in national and international scale disasters of the 3rd and 4th levels (the earthquake is the 4th level), they support the disaster without waiting for instructions like other institutions and organizations. This flexibility in their role is crucial for the effective management of the disaster response and recovery efforts, as it allows them to adapt their response based on the scale and severity of the disaster.

TAF "HUMANITARIAN AID BRIGADE" AND ENGINEERING TROOPS…

Direct rescue activities of the Turkish Armed Forces' "Humanitarian Aid Brigade" and engineering units are experts in search and rescue regarding equipment and capabilities. Other units may also perform communication, transportation, security and traffic, health, shelter, evacuation, and resettlement. In addition, other military units have the means and capabilities to carry out activities such as distributing and organizing relief materials to the disaster area, establishing and operating tent cities, establishing and operating logistics support bases, public order services, and sea-air transportation.

Add these scenarios to the TAMP annexes, assuming that the earthquake could affect more than one city center. The aim was to provide earthquake logistics in time, with simulations to be carried out according to these scenarios, and to plan how rescue teams could effectively use the first 48 hours.

In economics, "logistics management" is the efficient planning, supervision, and implementation of all transportation and storage processes of a product, from the first step in the production phase to the last step in which it is delivered to the consumer. Properly implemented logistics management can reduce costs, increase efficiency, and ensure customer satisfaction.

DEFINITION OF DISASTER LOGISTICS MANAGEMENT…

Using the exact definition, we can define "disaster logistics management" as follows: "Disaster logistics management is the management of all transportation and storage processes, from garages and warehouses to the last step, where rescue teams, rescue vehicles, and medical supplies, as well as shelter, clothing, and nutrition products, are delivered to the earthquake zone when a disaster occurs." planning and inspecting in complete detail before the disaster and effectively delivering and distributing this team and equipment to the disaster areas. "With properly implemented disaster logistics management, it is possible to intervene in a disaster as soon as possible, save more lives, and minimize the complaints of disaster victims."