The need for humanitarian assistance and protection is at its highest ever. Threats of conflicts and persecution, climate change, gender inequalities, and COVID-19, among others, are all examples of today’s natural and man-made disasters that people suffer through. Currently, 1 in 33 people requires assistance; a staggering 235 million people worldwide (OCHA, 2021). As this number rises year on year, humanitarians are pressed to find new innovations to provide assistance. AI and digitization are substantially revolutionising the way in which aid is carried out and how aid providers operate (Capgemini Consulting, 2019). I will specifically focus on the Turkish Red Crescent’s (TRC) and Microsoft’s digitisation and AI efforts to reunite Syrian families impacted by the ongoing refugee crisis.
It is estimated that during the Syrian conflict as many as 150,000 people have gone missing (Sarkin, 2021). To reunite family members, the Red Cross and Red Crescent movements make use of the Restoring Family Links program (RFL). However, it has been found that these searches can take up to 2 years as each individual request is considered carefully. Moreover, the success rate of these efforts sits at 1% due to familial complexities and sensitivities (Microsoft, 2021).
As such, TRC and Microsoft combined efforts to improve the RFL program using digitisation and AI to create a seamless program. The platform created offers a chatbot in 4 languages, and image matching using facial recognition. This has significantly enhanced search efficiency and speed (Microsoft, 2021). Additionally, the platform provides online and virtual support, facilitating family reunification and online communication between those unable to meet face-to-face. As a result, 3 separate databases of a total volume of 10 million people were combined into 1 and made available for digital scans (Microsoft, 2021).
This is only one example of the many initiatives the humanitarian sector is wanting to take to provide assistance and protection to those in need. In 2016, former Secretary-General Ban-Ki Moon outlined the ‘Agenda for Humanity’ during the World Humanitarian Summit (Capgemini Consulting, 2019). In this agenda, 5 core responsibilities and 24 transformations were identified and technological innovations are recognized as enablers in achieving these goals. I’m curious to see what the next innovations will be that will help realise these ambitions!
References:
Capgemini Consulting. (2019). Technological innovation for humanitarian aid and assistance. EPRS | European Parliamentary Research Service.
Microsoft. (2021). Turkish Red Crescent sets sights on new era with Restoring Family Links program through AI. Available at: https://customers.microsoft.com/en-us/story/1381448662552886958-turk-kizilay-nonprofit-azure-en-turkey.
OCHA. (2021). Global Humanitarian Overview 2021. Available at: https://gho.unocha.org/.
Sarkin, J. (2021). Humans not Numbers: The Case for an International Mechanism to Address the Detainees and Disappeared Crisis in Syria. Impunity Watch.
