EURO 2024 Copenhagen
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2540. Rethinking Durable Solutions: A System Dynamics Approach for Enhanced Decision-Making in Displacement Contexts

Invited abstract in session WC-45: Simulation and Modelling for Decision Support, stream Decision Support Systems.

Wednesday, 12:30-14:00
Room: 30 (building: 324)

Authors (first author is the speaker)

1. Patience Saungweme
Logistics Management, WHU Otto Beisheim School of Management
2. Stefan Spinler
Kuehne Foundation Endowed Chair in Logistics Management, WHU - Otto Beisheim School of Management

Abstract

Escalating human displacement resulting from conflict, natural disasters, and climate change, termed complex crises, represents a major global challenge today. Refugees, the second-largest displaced group, situated in locations experiencing protracted crises with declining living conditions, represent a major hurdle for humanitarian efforts. There exists low interest in research on Humanitarian Operations on the overlap of Humanitarian Logistics and Political Science, essential for addressing issues in conflict-induced displacement interventions. This area lacks exploration of viable operations management strategies in conflict zones, beyond access and security, for durable solutions realization. Decisions regarding refugees are subject to the political discretion of host countries, influenced by foreign policy negotiations and minimum standards set by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for basic survival needs. This often neglects long-term welfare needs of food security and livelihood recovery. We aim to create a framework using System Dynamics to analyze trade-offs between temporary and permanent solutions in crises causing displacement, incorporating protractedness and conflict sensitivity. The result expected is a codification of realities and insights gained from multiple case analysis, and their inclusion into a versatile operational decision framework for various displacement contexts and future integration with traditional Operations Research models.

Keywords

Status: accepted

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