Best practice and lessons learned in communication in Haiti

New report published by infoasaid captures practical case studies and best practice in communications with affected communities during the 2010 responses in Haiti.

 The 7.0 magnitude earthquake that struck the south of Haiti on January 12th 2010 triggered the largest humanitarian response since the Indian Ocean Tsunami of 2004. But the earthquake was unfortunately not the only serious emergency to strike Haiti in 2010. The outbreak of cholera in the town of St Marc on October 18th 2010 brought a new, highly infectious and deadly disease to a country with weak sanitation and health systems, and no knowledge of this illness.

Throughout these responses, a number of organisations tried to operationalise ways to fill a long-acknowledged gap in humanitarian response: the way in which aid agencies share information with and listen to those affected by the disaster. At the same time, a whole range of other actors – Haitian media, local private sector actors including technology companies, telecoms companies and Haitians in the overseas diaspora also started working to share information and to improve communication. Of particular note was the Haitian use of mobile phone and web based technology (more Haitians own mobile phones than own radios), and the experimental efforts by aid agencies to understand and engage with this new dynamic.

Infoasaid launches media and telecoms landscape guide to Ethiopia

Ethiopia has repeatedly been the scene of large-scale humanitarian emergencies,

Infoasaid has now published a comprehensive guide to the country’s media and telecoms landscape.

This aims to help aid agencies establish two-way communication with the country’s disaster-affected communities, no matter how remote they may be..

The challenges are daunting.

Vast areas of Ethiopia have poor or non-existent radio coverage.

A large segment of the rural population still relies exclusively on word of mouth to know what is happening in the outside world.

The mobile telephone network is also very patchy in its coverage. Ethiopia has a significantly lower rate of mobile phone ownership than most of its East African neighbours.

And the government exercises tight control overl news and information.

To get the full picture, click here

infoasaid publishes Nepal media landscape guide

Nepal is settling down after several years of social upheaval and radical political change.

But it remains one of the poorest countries in Asia, at constant risk of major natural disasters. These range from devastating earthquakes to droughts and floods.

However, Nepal's private media is flourishing in a new era of democracy and press freedom.

More than 300 FM radio stations – most of which are linked by content sharing networks - offer aid agencies new ways of keeping in touch with local communities.

And more than third of all Nepalese own a mobile phone.

Find out how aid agencies can establish effective two-way communication with Nepal’s most isolated and vulnerable communities by consulting infoasaid’s new Nepal Media and Telecoms Landscape Guide.

Click here to read it.  

Targeted, reliable information can help save lives in crisis-affected communities. As famine is declared in neighbouring Somalia, we’re helping ActionAid to improve vital communication with drought-affected populations in northern Kenya.

Open source mobile solutions such as Frontline SMS and Freedom Fone are enabling two-way communication with vulnerable communities.