Dadaab: Using Mobile Technology For Large Surveys In Emergency Settings

In August 2011, Internews led a joint communication and information needs assessment with Radio Ergo / International Media Support (IMS) and Star FM of Kenya, with significant support from the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC). This assessment aimed at understanding the information needs of refugees in Dadaab and exploring ways to improve the flow of communication between refugees, aid agencies and host communities.

Understanding the information ecology in any country is vital to Internews’ work, and assessments like this one form an important component of our humanitarian information projects. In the aftermath of a disaster, understanding how the information ecosystem has changed can make aid delivery much more effective. If humanitarian actors understand how information flows and how it is accessed, shared and consumed, they can provide better services, engaging with affected populations through the most appropriate channels and platforms and fulfilling the right people have to know about what is happening as well as what services are available to them. People affected by crisis have a right to ask questions and get answers, therefore becoming active agents in their own relief and recovery.