Humanitarian aid groups all over the world use websites such as ReliefWeb to coordinate efforts in the fight against global violence, hunger, and instability. Currently, this information is posted in the form of lengthy documents detailing their work and goals. Using data mining and visualization techniques we hope to create greater fluidity and speed of communication in order to facilitate cooperation across multiple regions. Using interactive graphs, charts, and maps, humanitarian organizations can find other countries to cooperate with in combating some of the world’s most urgent crises such as gender-based violence, sanitation, and forced displacement.

Keyword Visualizations
Cash fundraising Water, sanitation, and hygiene
Critical situations Repatriation efforts
Gender-based violence Protection
Interactive table

Keyword visualization

Cash Transfers

Cash transfers deliver quick and immediate aid, giving beneficiaries agency and control over the support they receive and ensuring their own needs are prioritized. Using tools such as data visualization, humanitarian groups will be able to identify other countries where cash programming is utilized to communicate with other organizations, work together to coordinate on cash transfer delivery schemes, and share lessons learned.

Critical situations

In the most urgent situations, communication is key. Using keyword detection we can visualize which situations are time-sensitive.

Repatriation efforts

Repatriation is an international effort. The complications of immigration and international travel, as well as the sensitivity of determining if a refugee’s home country is safe for return, mean that information is essential. Data-mining techniques allow us to see which countries are working towards repatriation most frequently.

Gender-based violence

Gender-based violence affects women, men, boys, and girls, differently, but “undermines the health, dignity, security, and autonomy of its victims” UNFPA. By identifying which countries have active GBV interventions, humanitarian actors can coordinate to deliver the services tailor to serve the needs of the most vulnerable.

Protection

The principles of protection, encompassing child protection, GBV, protection of legal rights, and protection from unexplored ordinance, are often eroded in conflict situations. Through text-mining technicals and digital visualizations, humanitarian actors can connect with others working on protection to exchange best practices and improve the services delivered to the most vulnerable.

Water, sanitation, and hygiene

Safe drinking water, sanitation facililites, and proper hyigene practices prevent against disease transmission. But in conflict situations or times of upheaval, usual facilities may not be available. By connecting humanitarians internationally, organizations can connect to share best practices in emergencies.

Interactive table

The following interactive table allows humanitarians to search according to their topic of interest to identify other countries with similar programming. Improving connections within the humanitarian community will, in turn, improve the support given to those most in need.