Atlanta Journal-Constitution (January 24, 2010)
As the world scrambles to help Haiti, businesses and organizations in Atlanta are concerning themselves with some key, if mundane, relief items, namely: buckets, underwear and biscuits. The logistical world of emergency relief – which has a large footprint in Atlanta – is being tested as in few other natural disasters. Desperately needed supplies of food, water and medicine are being slowed by torn roads, inadequate security and distribution bottlenecks. "The general public doesn't realize how complicated logistics are in a disaster," said Julie Swann, co-director of Georgia Tech's Center for Health and Humanitarian Logistics. Sudden floods of supplies can worsen emergencies. "It's not good for the system for everyone to send everything as fast as they can." Atlanta, long a center for commerce and distribution, is now a center for relief, Swann said. "Very few places have this critical mass of organizations."

Read entire article at:
http://www.ajc.com/search/content/printedition/2010/01/24/haiti01241.html