Message to Aid Workers: Go Mobile - or Get Lost!

In his blog on the role of mobile communication in humanitarian assistance, Nalaka Gunawardene gives an example of a Short Message Service (SMS) text message sent from a mobile phone from Dagahaley refugee camp in Dadaab, Kenya, to two United Nations (UN) officials in London and Nairobi explaining that people in the camp were not receiving sufficient food. The camp resident had obtained the telephone numbers through an internet cafe in the camp. Based on this example of the depth and reach of computer and telephone technology, the article challenges those working in the field of development to make more effective use of mobile phone technology in disaster relief and humanitarian aid communication.

According to the author, "All available indicators suggest that the future of humanitarian assistance is going to be largely dependent on mobile communications." As quoted from The Economist, the logistical operation of disaster relief is furthered by both mobile communication and internet communication tools like spread sheets, much in the same way that a private sector global courier would operate. Further, the article suggests that digital networks support emergency responders with increased flow of information in otherwise chaotic circumstances.

From his survey of conference presentations at the Global Symposium+5 on ‘Information for Humanitarian Action’, Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland (October 22 - 26 2007), Gunawardene questions the emphasis on computer-related tools when mobile phone networks are already widely available. Answers he received from conference presenters include both problems of mobile-computer network interface and the negotiation with private sector service providers required for to access mobile networks. However, he recognises a "mobile phone revolution sweeping Africa, Asia Pacific and... Latin America" and not being fully utilised by communication for development.

In one panel discussion, panellist Rima Qureshi, head of Ericsson Response, part of the global mobile phone manufacturer’s social responsibility initiatives, prophesied that the 3.4 billion mobile phones in the world would soon begin to have the same capabilities of a personal computer. Already, phones have global positioning (GPS) capability enabling rescue workers to locate the people carrying them (and raising ethical issues about who has access to this information). Wind-up phone chargers, lower prices, and higher durability are attributes and accessories that make phone usage more versatile. Commercial operators with some development funding are trying to roll out further coverage of rural areas.

In his conclusion, Gunawardene implies, through a cartoon, that it may be more creative organisational utilisation of communication tools, or as quoted in the article, "more imagination in applying already available technologies for new and better uses" that is the missing piece in fully engaging mobile technology.