This year, the Centre for Humanitarian Data is marking ten years of the Humanitarian Data Exchange (HDX) – a revolutionary platform that has transformed data sharing in the humanitarian sector. Launched in July 2014, HDX has dramatically improved the way data is accessed and utilized during crises and is a resource that is used by humanitarians all over the world. For humanitarians, the stakes remain high, with the UN estimating that approximately 300 million people are currently in need of humanitarian assistance.
Headquartered in The Hague’s Humanity Hub, the Centre is managed by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). OCHA has a mandate to coordinate the response to global humanitarian crises, working together with international partners to tackle humanitarian emergencies and save the lives of people caught in crises. OCHA helps mobilize aid, share information, support humanitarian efforts, and advocate for crisis-affected communities.
Before HDX, the humanitarian sector lacked a cohesive approach to data management. Accessibility was a major issue, with vital information often scattered across numerous sources, making it difficult for workers to locate and access the data they needed. If data was available, trust and reliability were often major concerns. A lot of data was also held locally in static, ‘offline’ files making it more difficult to share, and ultimately hampering the ability of aid workers to deliver assistance fast and effectively.
HDX was designed to address these issues head-on, providing a centralized platform where humanitarian data could be easily accessed, shared, and trusted.
Source, image & more information: https://storiesofpurpose.thehague.com/humanity/good-data-saves-lives-10-years-humanitarian-data-exchange-unocha
More about the work of OCHA: https://www.unocha.org/
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