Dynamic Vehicle Routing for Medicines Distribution in a Case of Disaster

Natural disasters occur worldwide, affecting countries across the globe. Whether due to the severity of the event or a nation's susceptibility, earthquakes are among these disasters and are known for their severe impact and resulting devastation. In the field of humanitarian logistics, especially during emergencies, responding swiftly and effectively to disasters is crucial for helping affected areas. This paper focuses on distributing vital medicines and vaccines in the Al Haouz region after a recent earthquake. The main challenge is to distribute these essential supplies efficiently while keeping them within specified temperature limits. This ensures that the medications remain effective and reach the recipients on time. In the field of operations research, dynamic vehicle routing (DVR) is crucial for addressing distribution problems in real-life situations. In this context, this study utilizes an algorithm developed based on simulated annealing, coupled with a temperature penalty function. The objective of our approach is to provide an effective response following the occurrence of an earthquake. Numerical results demonstrate the effectiveness and robustness of our proposed approach in earthquake response scenarios.