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In the last 15 years, humanitarian relief organizations have responded to an unprecedented series of emergencies of nearly every type, from natural disasters to man-made complex humanitarian emergencies. Among the former are Hurricane Mitch in Honduras in 1998, floods in Mozambique in 2000, the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004, and, most recently, Hurricane Katrina.

In all of these disasters, between 200 and 300 international non-governmental organizations (NGOs), military units, and countless local churches and charities worked to assist survivors. Supporting and coordinating these complex relief efforts is an enormous challenge for local governments and the United Nations.

Even while the pace of disaster relief and development accelerates, NGO and government leaders are asking important questions about the lessons learned in these crises, such as:

• How can the relief community better coordinate its efforts following a disaster?
• Were the responding NGOs adequately prepared with the information and communication technology (ICT) tools they needed to accomplish their missions?
• What local capacity was—or should have been—built to better respond?
• What needs to be done organizationally to prepare for future disasters?

Many disaster response organizations use technology to coordinate their work with other agencies and to improve their effectiveness. And, there have been several success stories. In the aftermath of Hurricane Mitch, relief groups used the U.N. Development Program’s (UNDP) email network to coordinate the allocation of supplies, which ensured that aid reached communities most in need. Web sites like Katrinapeoplefinder.org and Volunteerhelp.org were able to match lost loved ones and find volunteers on short notice.

While lessons learned have not always been passed on to planners, there are still several trends that indicate significant progress in ICT support for relief teams. Many aid groups have developed more professional grants management systems; technology has become more affordable and easier to deploy; organizations routinely involved in disaster response have more established working networks with each other; and, more essential information is available to relief teams.

While these trends are all positive, on-the-ground results are still hampered by a lack of planning, lack of understanding about how to integrate ICT into programs, and a lack of strong local partners to work with. In March 2005, HumaniNet and N-TEN, two nonprofit organizations with similar missions in information sharing, began a joint project to address how to use technology more effectively in disaster situations. Discussions with key NGO and government managers indicated the need for a better forum or e-source of widely available “best practices.”

Even more importantly, remote communities affected by disasters need improved access to information through satellite communications, wireless Internet access, voice over IP, adaptable database tools, online collaborative workspaces, and low-power field computers.

To consolidate lessons about ICT use in recent crises and to form virtual “communities of interest” around key themes, N-TEN and HumaniNet have organized a conference on October 17 on the use of ICTs in humanitarian relief operations and post-crisis development. (For more information, see links below.)

Teresa Crawford, Technology Consultant & N-Ten Member with Gregg Swanson, Executive Director, Humaninet & N-Ten Member

© N-TEN (Nonprofit Technology Enterprise Network)

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