onflict, climate change, and inflation are driving a global food crisis. Today an estimated 309 million people are suffering from acute food insecurity, compared to 135 million people in 2019. But there is hope, as technological innovations offer opportunities to transform how humanitarian assistance works. These innovations can fundamentally reshape how we deliver assistance to vulnerable populations, enhance operational efficiency, and drive more transparent and impactful interventions.
Digital transformation at core of humanitarian operations
Humanitarian aid organizations are increasingly turning to digital tools such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to enhance their response. Leveraging digital tools enables faster decision making, better resource allocation, and more targeted interventions, providing a much needed edge in addressing the world's most pressing humanitarian challenges.
AI and ML
Predictive analytics, powered by AI and ML, are crucial for disaster response. Machine Learning for Anticipatory Actions (ML4AA) uses advanced tech and climate insights to predict drought risks, providing quick warnings, and timely assistance. Tools like this could usher in a future where humanitarian action is increasingly anticipatory rather than reactive, saving lives with preventative, cost–effective solutions.
WFP's HungerMap Live illustrates AI's potential in tracking and predicting food insecurity. Operating in over 90 countries, it uses the latest metrics on conflict, climate shocks, populations, and the weather to identify areas that are currently food insecure or are sliding toward food insecurity. This information allows key stakeholders to make more informed and timely decisions relating to food security.
As AI systems like HungerMap grow more sophisticated, we move closer to a future where no crisis goes undetected and where aid reaches the most vulnerable populations first, not by coincidence but by design.
Blockchain technology
Blockchain offers a critical foundation for enhancing efficiency, transparency, and accountability in humanitarian aid. The power of blockchain lies in its tamper–proof, decentralized ledger system, which can revolutionize financial inclusion and the distribution of assistance.
Moreover, blockchain opens new avenues for asset tokenization and microfinance, allowing marginalized communities to participate in decentralized financial systems. This can significantly reduce their reliance on traditional banking structures, which often exclude the very populations most in need of assistance. By integrating blockchain into their core operations, humanitarian organizations can enhance the efficiency, dignity, autonomy and security of the aid they deliver.
One significant use is the secure and transparent distribution of aid.
For example, Building Blocks is the humanitarian sector’s largest blockchain–based cash distribution system. It enables different humanitarian organizations to channel assistance to the same blockchain account, providing a unified view of who is receiving what, when, and where across organizations. At the same time, people in need can access a variety of items at a single access point, improving their experience. In 2023, 2.2 million people received assistance and transfers by Building Blocks in Jordan, Bangladesh and Ukraine.
Strong digital and data systems for future humanitarian response
The foundation of a successful, future–oriented humanitarian response lies in strong digital and data systems. In a world where access to timely, accurate information can save lives, technologies like mobile apps, data analytics, and digital finance tools improve the speed, accuracy, and reach of humanitarian interventions.
Mobile technology and apps
Mobile technology has advanced significantly, with smartphones and mobile networks now ubiquitous even in remote areas. Mobile payment systems for cash-based transfers allow for secure, direct transfers of funds to individuals in need, reducing the risk of fraud and ensuring timely assistance.
The implementation of Cash–Based Transfers (CBT) assistance is complex, involving at least 39 different combinations of payment instruments and delivery mechanisms. This can limit the choice and financial inclusion of people needing assistance. Digital tools like PlugPAY can help streamline cash assistance, enabling rapid access for vulnerable communities through their preferred payment methods. In addition to enhancing security and simplifying access, PlugPAY illustrates the potential of strong digital and data systems in empowering aid, having achieved an 83% reduction in transaction fees and a 79% decrease in onboarding time for Financial Service Providers.
Additionally, mobile communication tools play a crucial role in coordinating efforts and sharing vital information during crises. The ETC Chatbot offers real time assistance and delivers critical updates to those affected. It has supported over 100,000 vulnerable people by helping coordinate emergency responses and gathering essential data in countries like Libya and Ukraine. Plans are in place to further scale its reach, including leveraging AI to expedite and personalize information during emergencies.
Data analytics
Data is now the lifeblood of humanitarian aid, with advanced analytics driving decisions that are more informed, timely, and impactful. The ability to analyze vast datasets in real time is transforming everything from refugee camp management to the delivery of food and medical supplies. WFP’s first–ever Global Data Strategy paves a critical path for how humanitarian organizations can harness data as a strategic asset for good.
SHAPES, for instance, integrates diverse data streams, uses advanced modeling techniques and explores scenarios to analyze and evaluate WFP’s intervention in response to shocks (such as climate disasters). This has significantly reduced emergency assessment times and has aided strategic planning in countries like Yemen, Haiti, and Lebanon.
However, the real challenge—and opportunity—lies in scaling these data systems across the broader humanitarian sector, to stretch increasingly competitive resources and maximize collect impact over the longer–term. Investment in data infrastructure, cross–sector partnerships, and capacity building will be critical in ensuring that data analytics not only inform short-term relief efforts but also contribute to long term resilience and sustainability.
The new frontiers transforming humanitarian aid from the ground to the sky
In the rapidly evolving humanitarian sector, drones and robotics are revolutionizing how aid is delivered in crisis zones. These technologies vastly improve both speed and safety. Drones, with their ability to quickly gather real–time data and survey inaccessible or dangerous areas, provide the critical insights and access needed for fast decision making.
Robotics, on the other hand, can navigate challenging terrains to deliver supplies where they’re most needed, reducing the risks to human workers. Together, they form a powerful combination—drones enable early assessment and connectivity, while autonomous vehicles and robots take on the heavy lifting, ensuring aid reaches even the hardest–to–access locations. From enabling safer operations to improving last mile delivery, drones and robotics represent a new frontier in humanitarian response, fundamentally changing how we approach disaster relief and crisis management.
Drones
Drone technology, traditionally used in commercial sectors, is becoming indispensable in humanitarian contexts, particularly in disaster zones where ground access is restricted.
WFP is exploring the use of drones to restore internet connectivity in regions where infrastructure has been damaged, such as areas affected by climate disasters. Drones can serve as temporary communication relays, providing essential connectivity for coordination and relief efforts. The R2C2 (Rapid Response Connectivity Carrier) innovation deploys drones to establish internet links in disaster zones, enabling humanitarian workers to connect, communicate and coordinate lifesaving support, quickly. Drones can also facilitate real-time data collection in emergencies, without putting humanitarians or others at risk, ensuring that the right help reaches the right people at the right time.
Looking ahead, the application of drones for delivering medical supplies and conducting rapid site assessments holds the potential to save lives in the critical hours following a disaster. As drone technology advances, we can envision a future where autonomous drones are the first responders, providing lifesaving supplies and establishing communication networks before human teams arrive.
Robotics
Robotics involves designing and deploying automated machines to perform tasks traditionally done by humans. In the medical sector, robotics have transformed healthcare by enhancing precision, reducing invasiveness and improving patient outcomes. In humanitarian aid, robotics offer innovative solutions to logistical challenges, particularly in reaching remote or dangerous areas.
The challenges of delivering humanitarian assistance in hazardous contexts can compromise the effectiveness of WFP assistance and endanger the lives of WFP personnel. The solution? Semi-autonomous, tele–operated vehicles. The AHEAD vehicle, developed by the WFP Innovation Accelerator in partnership with the German Aerospace Center (DLR) under the Humanitarian Technology (HumTech) program, is a tele–operated amphibious vehicle designed to deliver last-mile food and supplies in challenging terrains, safely and efficiently. Successfully demonstrated in late 2022 near Munich, Germany, this technology addresses security and health threats in hazardous environments.
Challenges and ethical considerations
Humanitarian actors are increasingly finding themselves at the intersection of technology and humanitarian assistance, left to consider the intricate balance between the risks and benefits of integrating innovative technology into humanitarian work.
One major issue is technological accessibility and the digital divide. Many vulnerable populations lack access to digital tools and the internet, limiting the reach and effectiveness of tech–based interventions. Bridging this divide is crucial for equitable aid distribution.
Data privacy and security concerns are also paramount. Collecting and storing vast amounts of sensitive information pose risks of breaches and misuse. Ensuring robust security measures and adhering to data protection regulations are essential to safeguard the privacy of the people humanitarian organizations work with. Additionally, fostering data sharing and technology interoperability is crucial to maximizing resources and enhancing the overall impact across the sector. This collaboration ensures that efforts are coordinated, data is used efficiently, and collective response is strengthened.
The ethical use of AI and other technologies requires careful consideration. AI algorithms can perpetuate biases present in their training data, leading to unfair outcomes. For example, AI models might prioritize aid recipients based on biased data that overlooks vulnerable groups, meaning certain marginalized groups might not receive the help they need due to the model's inherent biases. Therefore, it is vital to implement transparent, fair, and accountable AI systems in humanitarian contexts.
Regulation is another critical factor. Technological innovations often outpace existing legal frameworks, necessitating the development of new regulations that ensure ethical deployment while fostering innovation. Policymakers must balance the need for oversight with the flexibility required for technological advancement.
Finally, balancing innovation with traditional humanitarian methods is essential. While technology can enhance efficiency and effectiveness, traditional methods remain vital in many contexts. Combining both approaches ensures comprehensive and inclusive aid delivery, leveraging the strengths of each to better serve vulnerable populations.
The humanitarian sector must explore the transformative possibilities of emerging technology such as AI, while simultaneously ensuring that new tools are used ethically and responsibly to ensure greater accuracy and dignity for people in need.
Conclusion
The integration of cutting edge technologies like AI, blockchain, drones, mobile technology, data analytics and robotics is revolutionizing humanitarian aid, offering innovative solutions to some of the most pressing challenges faced by vulnerable populations. By harnessing these advancements, humanitarian organizations can enhance their efficiency, transparency and impact, ensuring that aid reaches those in need more swiftly and effectively. As we navigate the complexities of modern crises, continued investment in these technologies and collaborative efforts across sectors will be essential. Embracing this technological evolution holds the promise of building a more resilient and equitable future, where humanitarian aid is not just reactive but proactive and transformative.
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Tech trends transforming humanitarian aid
Local women help unload humanitarian aid from a World Food Programme helicopter in Bebedo, Mozambique. Image courtesy of US Africa Command on Flickr. CC BY 2.0.
October 16, 2024
On this World Food Day, we are facing a global food crisis impacting over 300 million people. Technological innovation—especially AI and machine learning—hold promise for a better future of humanitarian aid, write the UN WFP's Bernhard Kowatsch and Jay Mahanand.
C
onflict, climate change, and inflation are driving a global food crisis. Today an estimated 309 million people are suffering from acute food insecurity, compared to 135 million people in 2019. But there is hope, as technological innovations offer opportunities to transform how humanitarian assistance works. These innovations can fundamentally reshape how we deliver assistance to vulnerable populations, enhance operational efficiency, and drive more transparent and impactful interventions.
Digital transformation at core of humanitarian operations
Humanitarian aid organizations are increasingly turning to digital tools such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to enhance their response. Leveraging digital tools enables faster decision making, better resource allocation, and more targeted interventions, providing a much needed edge in addressing the world's most pressing humanitarian challenges.
AI and ML
Predictive analytics, powered by AI and ML, are crucial for disaster response. Machine Learning for Anticipatory Actions (ML4AA) uses advanced tech and climate insights to predict drought risks, providing quick warnings, and timely assistance. Tools like this could usher in a future where humanitarian action is increasingly anticipatory rather than reactive, saving lives with preventative, cost–effective solutions.
WFP's HungerMap Live illustrates AI's potential in tracking and predicting food insecurity. Operating in over 90 countries, it uses the latest metrics on conflict, climate shocks, populations, and the weather to identify areas that are currently food insecure or are sliding toward food insecurity. This information allows key stakeholders to make more informed and timely decisions relating to food security.
As AI systems like HungerMap grow more sophisticated, we move closer to a future where no crisis goes undetected and where aid reaches the most vulnerable populations first, not by coincidence but by design.
Blockchain technology
Blockchain offers a critical foundation for enhancing efficiency, transparency, and accountability in humanitarian aid. The power of blockchain lies in its tamper–proof, decentralized ledger system, which can revolutionize financial inclusion and the distribution of assistance.
Moreover, blockchain opens new avenues for asset tokenization and microfinance, allowing marginalized communities to participate in decentralized financial systems. This can significantly reduce their reliance on traditional banking structures, which often exclude the very populations most in need of assistance. By integrating blockchain into their core operations, humanitarian organizations can enhance the efficiency, dignity, autonomy and security of the aid they deliver.
One significant use is the secure and transparent distribution of aid.
For example, Building Blocks is the humanitarian sector’s largest blockchain–based cash distribution system. It enables different humanitarian organizations to channel assistance to the same blockchain account, providing a unified view of who is receiving what, when, and where across organizations. At the same time, people in need can access a variety of items at a single access point, improving their experience. In 2023, 2.2 million people received assistance and transfers by Building Blocks in Jordan, Bangladesh and Ukraine.
Strong digital and data systems for future humanitarian response
The foundation of a successful, future–oriented humanitarian response lies in strong digital and data systems. In a world where access to timely, accurate information can save lives, technologies like mobile apps, data analytics, and digital finance tools improve the speed, accuracy, and reach of humanitarian interventions.
Mobile technology and apps
Mobile technology has advanced significantly, with smartphones and mobile networks now ubiquitous even in remote areas. Mobile payment systems for cash-based transfers allow for secure, direct transfers of funds to individuals in need, reducing the risk of fraud and ensuring timely assistance.
The implementation of Cash–Based Transfers (CBT) assistance is complex, involving at least 39 different combinations of payment instruments and delivery mechanisms. This can limit the choice and financial inclusion of people needing assistance. Digital tools like PlugPAY can help streamline cash assistance, enabling rapid access for vulnerable communities through their preferred payment methods. In addition to enhancing security and simplifying access, PlugPAY illustrates the potential of strong digital and data systems in empowering aid, having achieved an 83% reduction in transaction fees and a 79% decrease in onboarding time for Financial Service Providers.
Additionally, mobile communication tools play a crucial role in coordinating efforts and sharing vital information during crises. The ETC Chatbot offers real time assistance and delivers critical updates to those affected. It has supported over 100,000 vulnerable people by helping coordinate emergency responses and gathering essential data in countries like Libya and Ukraine. Plans are in place to further scale its reach, including leveraging AI to expedite and personalize information during emergencies.
Data analytics
Data is now the lifeblood of humanitarian aid, with advanced analytics driving decisions that are more informed, timely, and impactful. The ability to analyze vast datasets in real time is transforming everything from refugee camp management to the delivery of food and medical supplies. WFP’s first–ever Global Data Strategy paves a critical path for how humanitarian organizations can harness data as a strategic asset for good.
SHAPES, for instance, integrates diverse data streams, uses advanced modeling techniques and explores scenarios to analyze and evaluate WFP’s intervention in response to shocks (such as climate disasters). This has significantly reduced emergency assessment times and has aided strategic planning in countries like Yemen, Haiti, and Lebanon.
However, the real challenge—and opportunity—lies in scaling these data systems across the broader humanitarian sector, to stretch increasingly competitive resources and maximize collect impact over the longer–term. Investment in data infrastructure, cross–sector partnerships, and capacity building will be critical in ensuring that data analytics not only inform short-term relief efforts but also contribute to long term resilience and sustainability.
The new frontiers transforming humanitarian aid from the ground to the sky
In the rapidly evolving humanitarian sector, drones and robotics are revolutionizing how aid is delivered in crisis zones. These technologies vastly improve both speed and safety. Drones, with their ability to quickly gather real–time data and survey inaccessible or dangerous areas, provide the critical insights and access needed for fast decision making.
Robotics, on the other hand, can navigate challenging terrains to deliver supplies where they’re most needed, reducing the risks to human workers. Together, they form a powerful combination—drones enable early assessment and connectivity, while autonomous vehicles and robots take on the heavy lifting, ensuring aid reaches even the hardest–to–access locations. From enabling safer operations to improving last mile delivery, drones and robotics represent a new frontier in humanitarian response, fundamentally changing how we approach disaster relief and crisis management.
Drones
Drone technology, traditionally used in commercial sectors, is becoming indispensable in humanitarian contexts, particularly in disaster zones where ground access is restricted.
WFP is exploring the use of drones to restore internet connectivity in regions where infrastructure has been damaged, such as areas affected by climate disasters. Drones can serve as temporary communication relays, providing essential connectivity for coordination and relief efforts. The R2C2 (Rapid Response Connectivity Carrier) innovation deploys drones to establish internet links in disaster zones, enabling humanitarian workers to connect, communicate and coordinate lifesaving support, quickly. Drones can also facilitate real-time data collection in emergencies, without putting humanitarians or others at risk, ensuring that the right help reaches the right people at the right time.
Looking ahead, the application of drones for delivering medical supplies and conducting rapid site assessments holds the potential to save lives in the critical hours following a disaster. As drone technology advances, we can envision a future where autonomous drones are the first responders, providing lifesaving supplies and establishing communication networks before human teams arrive.
Robotics
Robotics involves designing and deploying automated machines to perform tasks traditionally done by humans. In the medical sector, robotics have transformed healthcare by enhancing precision, reducing invasiveness and improving patient outcomes. In humanitarian aid, robotics offer innovative solutions to logistical challenges, particularly in reaching remote or dangerous areas.
The challenges of delivering humanitarian assistance in hazardous contexts can compromise the effectiveness of WFP assistance and endanger the lives of WFP personnel. The solution? Semi-autonomous, tele–operated vehicles. The AHEAD vehicle, developed by the WFP Innovation Accelerator in partnership with the German Aerospace Center (DLR) under the Humanitarian Technology (HumTech) program, is a tele–operated amphibious vehicle designed to deliver last-mile food and supplies in challenging terrains, safely and efficiently. Successfully demonstrated in late 2022 near Munich, Germany, this technology addresses security and health threats in hazardous environments.
Challenges and ethical considerations
Humanitarian actors are increasingly finding themselves at the intersection of technology and humanitarian assistance, left to consider the intricate balance between the risks and benefits of integrating innovative technology into humanitarian work.
One major issue is technological accessibility and the digital divide. Many vulnerable populations lack access to digital tools and the internet, limiting the reach and effectiveness of tech–based interventions. Bridging this divide is crucial for equitable aid distribution.
Data privacy and security concerns are also paramount. Collecting and storing vast amounts of sensitive information pose risks of breaches and misuse. Ensuring robust security measures and adhering to data protection regulations are essential to safeguard the privacy of the people humanitarian organizations work with. Additionally, fostering data sharing and technology interoperability is crucial to maximizing resources and enhancing the overall impact across the sector. This collaboration ensures that efforts are coordinated, data is used efficiently, and collective response is strengthened.
The ethical use of AI and other technologies requires careful consideration. AI algorithms can perpetuate biases present in their training data, leading to unfair outcomes. For example, AI models might prioritize aid recipients based on biased data that overlooks vulnerable groups, meaning certain marginalized groups might not receive the help they need due to the model's inherent biases. Therefore, it is vital to implement transparent, fair, and accountable AI systems in humanitarian contexts.
Regulation is another critical factor. Technological innovations often outpace existing legal frameworks, necessitating the development of new regulations that ensure ethical deployment while fostering innovation. Policymakers must balance the need for oversight with the flexibility required for technological advancement.
Finally, balancing innovation with traditional humanitarian methods is essential. While technology can enhance efficiency and effectiveness, traditional methods remain vital in many contexts. Combining both approaches ensures comprehensive and inclusive aid delivery, leveraging the strengths of each to better serve vulnerable populations.
The humanitarian sector must explore the transformative possibilities of emerging technology such as AI, while simultaneously ensuring that new tools are used ethically and responsibly to ensure greater accuracy and dignity for people in need.
Conclusion
The integration of cutting edge technologies like AI, blockchain, drones, mobile technology, data analytics and robotics is revolutionizing humanitarian aid, offering innovative solutions to some of the most pressing challenges faced by vulnerable populations. By harnessing these advancements, humanitarian organizations can enhance their efficiency, transparency and impact, ensuring that aid reaches those in need more swiftly and effectively. As we navigate the complexities of modern crises, continued investment in these technologies and collaborative efforts across sectors will be essential. Embracing this technological evolution holds the promise of building a more resilient and equitable future, where humanitarian aid is not just reactive but proactive and transformative.
