Disaster Relief Communications
When disasters strike, people need food, shelter, blankets and medicine—but without an effective communications network, supplies are left undelivered, and relief workers are unable to do their jobs.
The United Nations Foundation and Vodafone Foundation Partnership helps emergency relief workers respond more quickly and effectively and reconnects families separated by disaster. The partnership supports the UN World Food Programme (WFP), the UN’s lead agency tasked with security communications in disaster response, and Télécoms Sans Frontières (TSF), a humanitarian NGO that deploys lifesaving mobile and satellite technology for UN relief missions. Both groups can deploy to anywhere in the world within 48 hours.
With UN Foundation and Vodafone Foundation funding, WFP and TSF teams provide vital telecommunication support to the UN and other humanitarian agencies during emergencies. View some examples of these recent deployments by exploring the interactive map below.
To view a full list of deployments since 2006, click here.
Click and drag your mouse over the map to view other regions.
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STORIES OF IMPACT
Rapid Hurricane Response: Haiti
Area of Involvement: Technology
Summer 2008 was a tough time for Haiti. In August and September 2008, three consecutive hurricanes – Gustav, Hanna and Ike – devastated the island nation. Once again, the UN Foundation’s Technology Program supported the use of mobile technology to help reconnect families, aid workers and emergency response missions during this crisis.
The United Nations Foundation is in every corner of Ethiopia
Area of Involvement: US-UN Relations;Children’s Health;Climate & Energy;Technology;Women & Population
The UN Foundation’s executive director of global partnerships just wrapped up an extensive trip to Ethiopia, which brought her from rural villages to urban centers to everywhere in between. And while it’s hard to re-create such a dynamic trip in words, Elizabeth is doing exactly that with a blog series on her incredible experiences.
RESOURCES
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New Technologies in Emergencies and Conflicts: The Role of Information and Social Networks
Issue Area: Technology
Our latest report -- New Technologies in Emergencies and Conflicts: The Role of Information and Social Networks -- looks at innovation in the use of technology along the timeline of crisis response, from emergency preparedness and alerts to recovery and rebuilding. It profiles organizations whose work is advancing the frontlines of innovation, offers an overview of international efforts to increase sophistication in the use of IT and social networks during emergencies, and provides recommendations for how governments, aid groups and international organizations can leverage this innovation to improve community resilience.
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UN Foundation Newsletter (Fall 2009)
Issue Area: Children’s Health
Issue Area: Climate & Energy
Issue Area: Sustainable Development
Issue Area: Technology
Issue Area: US-UN Relations
Issue Area: Women & Population
A semi-annual newsletter highlighting the UN Foundation's programs and people.
