Utilizing extensive data in managing catastrophic events: the potential of data-centric humanitarian strategies in aiding crisis-stricken individuals
In the face of escalating global displacement and crises, the humanitarian sector is turning to technology and innovation to improve relief efforts. One such tool is the UN COMTRADE Insights software, which provides access to global trade data for organizations.
The UN COMTRADE data was instrumental in helping relief efforts following the Nepal earthquake. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) used this data to quickly procure sheet metal roofing before the monsoon season, ensuring the safety of those affected.
This approach can help build a new humanitarian model better suited to addressing the challenges of today. By using technology and innovation, organizations can extract insights, key trends, and meaning from available data, providing faster relief and helping staff on the ground solve problems.
Data visualization technology, in particular, offers a powerful tool for humanitarian organizations. Interactive data visualizations help identify where migrants are concentrated, which populations are most at risk, and the status of ongoing relief funding and interventions. This transparency facilitates prioritizing aid, avoiding duplication, and adapting responses dynamically as situations evolve on the ground.
Moreover, technology-based approaches have been applied beyond logistics to migrant mental health support. For example, community capacity-building models using online training and task-shifting empower front-line workers with trauma-informed care skills, improving psychosocial support for migrants in emergency contexts.
However, challenges remain. For countries with a population influx, identifying the origin of displaced people without official ID or documentation is a significant challenge. In such cases, tracking legitimate population shifts and unofficial movements engineered by people traffickers becomes crucial. Cell phone usage can potentially help identify the origin of displaced people, offering a valuable tool in solving humanitarian crises.
The insights gained from UN COMTRADE data can be invaluable in this regard. As I-Sah Hsieh, global manager, International Development, SAS, noted, "The current model for providing humanitarian relief is broken, and a new model that leverages technology and innovation is needed."
A report on using data visualization technology is available for reading, and access to the UN COMTRADE Insights software costs as little as $25. This affordable price point makes these tools accessible to a wide range of organizations, offering a promising avenue for strengthening relief efforts amid current migration crises.
- Integrating environmental-science data, especially related to climate-change, with the data-and-cloud-computing offered by UN COMTRADE Insights could potentially forecast vulnerable areas prone to natural disasters, helping organizations prepare better for relief efforts.
- Educational institutions and self-development programs can play a significant role in fostering expertise in science, technology, and environmental-science, thereby making a substantial contribution to the adaptation of the humanitarian model that leverages technology and innovation.
- To address the challenge of identifying displaced people without official identification, environmental-science could be combined with technology, such as weather pattern analysis and cell phone data, to create a more comprehensive solution for traceability and humanity protection.
