INTRODUCTIONHundreds of millions of people are affected by disasters every year and the number of natural and man-made disasters worldwide is increasing. increase. Improving the nature of logistics and supply chain management for humanitarian assistance is essential for responders to save lives. In these situations, demand can vary widely and is often uncertain. Coordination of supply chains between organizations and management of supplies for humanitarian needs are increasingly necessary and must be implemented effectively to save more lives. This article will define and identify some unique characteristics of disaster relief supply chains as well as its basic process while highlighting some of the ideas used by the American Red Cross and other humanitarian aid agencies. DEFINITION The Fritz Institute offers a definition used by a wide range of humanitarian aid organizations. humanitarian organizations in humanitarian supply chains as: The process of planning, implementing and controlling the efficient and cost-effective flow and storage of goods and materials and associated information from the point of origin to the point of of consumption with the aim of alleviating suffering. of vulnerable people. This function encompasses a range of activities including preparation, planning, procurement, transportation, warehousing, tracking and tracing, customs and clearance. (Thomas, 2005). The term humanitarian logistics is often used interchangeably with humanitarian supply chain and is implicit in this definition. Rescue defines humanitarian supply chains while profit is the defining factor in commercial supply chains. CAUSES OF HUMANITARIAN SUPPLY CHAINS Wherever a disaster occurs and whenever humans are involved, disaster management is put in place using a...... middle of paper ..... .with the aim of either preventing the occurrence of an emergency or reducing the vulnerability of the community when an emergency occurs. CONCLUSIONA disaster relief supply chain has the sole purpose of using the supply chain to save as many lives as possible. Unique characteristics that differ from commercial characteristics include agility, short delivery times, reliance on volunteers as well as employees for labor, logistics to handle damaged infrastructure, and reliance with regard to the immediate coordination of organizational partnerships in a short period of time. Demand is often uncertain and can fluctuate considerably. The American Red Cross and other humanitarian agencies help thousands of people affected by disasters each year. As the number of disasters increases, improving humanitarian supply chain management is essential to respond more quickly and save lives..