A Fermatean fuzzy-based framework for sustainable supplier selection to enhance humanitarian supply chain performance

Purpose This study examines how humanitarian organizations can achieve sustainability through strategic supplier selection, ensuring productivity and performance by integrating economic, social and environmental dimensions. This proposes connects disaster preparedness, sustainability and performance management with the procurement decision. Design/methodology/approach A hybrid Fermatean Fuzzy-based multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) framework, integrating Criteria Importance Through Inter-Criteria Correlation (CRITIC) and Combined Compromise Solution (CoCoSo) method is applied to prioritize sustainability criteria and rank suppliers. The developed framework was further validated using an India-based Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), ensuring its practical relevance and decision-making accuracy. Findings The result of the combined CRITIC-CoCoSo method indicates that the economic dimension holds the highest weightage, followed by social and environmental, reinforcing the dominance of cost-related factors in supplier selection. Additionally, key performance indicators (KPIs), such as delivery efficiency, crisis responsiveness and environmental compliance in post-selection, improve the performance and resilience of humanitarian logistics. Practical implications Our study provides practical insights to operationalize sustainability through evidence-based supplier evaluation, strengthening both short-term responsiveness and long-term resilience. This approach offers a robust, adaptable and scalable decision-support system for performance management in the humanitarian supply chain. Originality/value This study integrates three dimensions of sustainability into the supplier selection in the humanitarian supply chain for the procurement of relief items. The proposed framework strengthens performance management in humanitarian supply chains by integrating KPI-driven post-selection monitoring.