Tackling Humanitarian Crises from Home

In a significant shift this past June, our Global Surge deployees were in majority working remotely rather than directly on the field. That month, 57 per cent of our deployees were assisting partners and clusters from their home or remotely. –  a first  since the inception of our Global Surge program in 2012. As this change mirrors the evolving nature of our work, it does certainly reflect the diverse challenges facing humanitarian actors over the world. 

One frequent reason for home-based deployment is the complexities of obtaining visas in countries where the populations we assist are based. Sometimes, the process can drag on for weeks or months, while immediate assistance is needed. Additionally, security concerns can bar our deployees from entering certain countries physically. For instance, the rapid escalation of the crisis in Sudan needed swift and immediate support, while large swaths of the country remained inaccessible. 

“The beauty of being an Information Management Officer is that you essentially require only a laptop and a reliable internet connection”, highlights Ketankumar Trivedi, a Gender Information Management Officer seconded (through the Standby Partnership Mechanism and with the support of USAID – BHA) to UN Women Sudan from his home in Gandhinagar, India. “With the right tools, tasks such as data collection, analysis, and management can be performed from vast distances”, concurs Mohamed Mowlid, another IMO, seconded to WHO in Sudan from Mogadishu, Somalia, adding that he feels “as efficient as on the field.”  

However, home-based deployments present their own set of challenges. While IMOs can function with just a laptop, accessing the necessary data is essential for effective work. “Without access to the required data, effective work is impossible”, explains Abdoul Karim Sow, deployed to the Global WASH Cluster (through the Standby Partnership Mechanism and with the support of USAID – BHA) from his home in Dakar, Senegal. Sometimes, IMOs need to persuade partners on the ground to grant them access to essential data – a task often easier in face-to-face conversations than virtual ones. “Entering someone's office in person tends to be more impactful than sending an email”, Abdoul Karim adds with a smile. 

“Coordination and communication present the greatest challenges”, concurs Ketankumar. “When interacting with staff on the ground, they might be facing dire situations and would have other things on their minds. This must be taken into consideration when you are reaching out.” Remote deployees then put in extra effort to carefully communicate and coordinate with partners on-site. Rubyath Binte Hasan, seconded (through the Standby Partnership Mechanism and with the support of USAID – BHA) to UNICEF in Myanmar for the Global Child Protection AoR/Cluster, underscores the importance of mindful communication. “When engaging with partners on the ground, you need to demonstrate how the data will directly benefit them in continuing the response”, recommends Rubyath, from her home in Chittagong, Bangladesh. 

Maintaining a constant connection with the field is crucial for remote deployees, starting even before their assignment begins. While some may have prior experience in the country they are assisting, others might find themselves remotely deployed to unfamiliar territories. Rubyath, who had not been to Myanmar before her assignment, extensively researched the country's situation. “I tapped into shared knowledge by connecting with other iMMAPers who had worked in Myanmar. This helped me deeply understand the intricacies of the situation and avoid any harm,” she explains. Alongside insights from colleagues and former peers, remote deployees also independently do a “good amount of homework” prior to their deployment, explains Rubyath, through “reading any recent publicly available documents” from their area of work to get a clear understanding of the situation on the ground.