MOBILE TECHNOLOGY IN HUMANITARIAN SITUATIONS A look at case studies conducted in Syria, Peru, Indonesia and Kenya.

Presented by: Buhlebomzi Ndukwana

CASE STUDIES Delivering Food aid to Iraqi refugees in

Syria Facilitating Communication in

emergency situations: Peru, Indonesia

DELIVERING FOOD AID TO IRAQI REFUGEES

WFP had to make choices about who they provide with food aid

The estimate was that 50 000 were in need of food aid

WFP was looking for innovative ways to stretch the donations

The problem was distribution

CONTINUED “…we started distributing food to refugees in

Damascus, but how were we going to announce distribution?”-Haitham El Noush

The refugees had access to mobile phones The idea of using text messages was born… WFP contacted a local cell phone provider The company agreed to sponsor the first 800

text messages free Eventually an account was set up, to lower

costs

CHALLENGES Messages targeted only on the phone

numbers on the list People assuming that the message was

an entitlement People not checking eligibility on the

provided website People changing phone numbers

OUTCOME The 800 free messages were successful In the first six months 35 000 messages

were sent reaching 140 000 eligible people

Messages successfully delivered to families

Families felt a sense of being cared for The programme has grown

IN 2011 They use PDAs for bigger data sets Simple mobile phone for smaller data It makes their work easier as well as

that of data entry clerks The next step is tablets Data collection is 20-30% faster http

://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AJ6XtToNeo

FACILITATING COMMUNICATION IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS

15 August 2007, an earthquake struck the coast of Peru

Brought buildings down and disrupted communications

Emergency aid was dispatched from all over the world

These groups would need communication technology

Someone had to help in this regard

TELECOMS SANS FRONTIERES

Founded in 1998, headquarters in Pau France

Workers are volunteers: university graduates and professionals over 50 years

Initially to provide disaster survivors with 3minute calls to families

Use mainly satellite communication equipment

Equipment is constantly upgraded and developed to meet the rapidly changing needs

SOME PICTURES

CHALLENGES Keeping up with changes in technology

Determining ways to best adapt new technologies to meet needs in the field

Ensuring sustainability

NEXT STEPS After assignments, staff conduct a

debriefing TSF is looking to expand the use of their

facilities Looking for ways to open cyber cafes in

relief areas Exploring ways to play a greater role in

prevention efforts Also looking at expanding the use of

mobile technology

IN 2011…

RECENT CASE Mobile technology recently played a role

in a humanitarian situation Social media in the “Egyptian

revolution” Facebook and YouTube campaigns “technosociality”

QUOTE “this is not the future, it’s the now ”-

Andrew trench