Disasters & Humanitarian Crisis

the new information age

Humanitarian Assistance SymposiumBrown University

Director, Global Emergency Medicine

Department of Emergency Medicine,

Northwestern University

Associate Faculty Harvard Humanitarian Initiative

Jennifer Chan, MD, MPH March 2, 2013

@JenniferChan7

Humanitarian Crisis & Disasters

Photo: LA Times/BBC Photo: UNHCR/CNN

Photo: Jennifer Chan/HHI

But only 5 months later.....during another crisis

Over 70% of new refugees said they lacked information.

Image from Communication is Aid video, Infoasaid - BBC media action/Internews

INFORMATIONFRAGMENTATIONGAPS

Image from Communication is Aid video, Infoasaid - BBC media action/Internews

Photos:Internews

NEWinformation flows

challenges

opportunitiescommunities

Mission 46362010 Haiti Earthquake

Information Explosion

filtervalidateprioritizedistributed

networks of 2 way

communication

expectationsconsent

security/privacy

Challenges

•People & Communities

•Accessibility, Knowledge & Trust

•Security & Information Privacy

•Methods of Analysis

•Decision to Action

•Outcomes ... & Impact

Photo: Jennifer Chan

Photo: Jennifer Chan

Photo: Reuters

Image from Communication is Aid video, Infoasaid - BBC media action/Internews

Thank you Jennifer L Chan, MD, MPH, FACEP

@JenniferChan7