Introducing Digital Humanitarian Technologies
Technology is not only part of the world we live in, it is part of the way we respond to it.
Digital technologies have taken a fundamental place in our daily lives, from our smartphones to the devices we use to manage our homes. Interestingly, this worldwide phenomenon also affects how humanitarian aid is being designed and delivered to people in situations of crisis.
The humanitarian sector has undergone many shifts through the process of digitisation: a reduction in international travel, increased communication with aid participants by text or email, greater access to remote areas using drones.
In my research, I aim to examine the impact of these digital shifts on both the delivery of aid in crisis contexts and the very nature of what 'aid' is.
Technology shapes not only how aid is delivered, but also what aid is.
As technologies reshape the humanitarian world, academic literature increasingly highlights the challenges and risks of this digital shift.
“The digitisation of aid has created new kinds of vulnerabilities, as the very technologies used to protect and assist may also expose and exclude.”
— Jacobsen, K.L. (2015). The Politics of Humanitarian Technology: Good Intentions, Unintended Consequences and Insecurity. Routledge.
With the growing use of technology globally, the volume of data has skyrocketed. A key concern with digitising aid is the sheer quantity of data generated—data about people in crisis that can be personal, sensitive, and inherently at risk of misuse. This includes geolocated refugees’ travel routes, drone photography of people’s homes and families—details that could expose individuals to harm if accessed (legally or not) by others, whether for helpful or harmful purposes.
While digital innovation has provided the humanitarian world with unparalleled opportunities, it also raises serious questions about privacy, accessibility, and unintended consequences.
Through my work, I aim to explore how to maximise the benefits of technology while addressing the risks it introduces—ultimately contributing to a more effective and ethical integration of digital tools in humanitarian action.