Model for Location of Temporary Shelters and Routing of Specialized Personnel for Assisting Vulnerable Population in case Sudden Natural Disasters

Natural disasters have always affected populations worldwide leading to major consequences for people and their environment. Most disasters are known to occur suddenly; thus, several studies have identified logistical weaknesses in preventing and addressing these cases.In Colombia, flooding is the leading cause of deaths from hydrometeorological phenomena. Based on this, the present research proposes a model of mixed integer linear programming for the location of temporary relief centers and routing of specialized personnel. These decisions were addressed in two phases. In the first phase, the location of temporary shelters was determined, considering designated safe zones as candidate sites for their establishment. The selected shelters enabled, in the second phase, the configuration of routes for specialized personnel, with a local distribution center as a reference point. The results established that addressing both decision-making schemes and their interrelationship contributes to minimizing response times for vulnerable populations.