Humanitarian Data Exchange

Humanitarian Data Exchange
Name	Humanitarian Data Exchange
Type	Data repository
Founded	2014
Founder	United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Location	Geneva
Area served	Global

Humanitarian Data Exchange is an online data platform for sharing humanitarian datasets used by responders, analysts, and policymakers during crises such as Syrian civil war, Haiti earthquake (2010), and Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa. It aggregates datasets from agencies including United Nations, World Bank, International Committee of the Red Cross, and Amnesty International, enabling access for actors like Médecins Sans Frontières, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and national authorities such as United States Agency for International Development and UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. The platform supports interoperability with standards set by organizations including International Organization for Standardization, Open Data Charter, and Committee on Data initiatives.

Overview

The platform functions as a catalog and distribution point for structured datasets relevant to crises such as the Rohingya refugee crisis, Yemen humanitarian crisis, and Hurricane Maria. Users can search, preview, and download data published by institutions like World Health Organization, UNICEF, World Food Programme, International Organization for Migration, and UNHCR. It integrates metadata schemas influenced by projects such as Dublin Core, Schema.org, and practices from Open Knowledge Foundation and Data.gov. The portal supports file formats used by applications like QGIS, ArcGIS, and tools produced by Esri, Tableau, and Microsoft Power BI.

History and Development

Launched amid coordination efforts around Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa and lessons from responses to events like the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the platform originated under the auspices of United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs with technical contributions from partners such as Open Knowledge Foundation, OpenStreetMap, and Socrata. Development milestones reference interoperability work with standards bodies like International Organization for Standardization and collaboration with research institutions including Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and London School of Economics. The project evolved through partnerships with technology firms including Google, Microsoft, and Amazon Web Services to scale hosting, search, and analytics capabilities.

Platform and Features

The portal provides dataset discovery, preview, API access, and bulk download functions compatible with environments such as R (programming language), Python (programming language), and Stata. It includes tagging, licensing metadata consistent with Creative Commons, and tools for visualization inspired by initiatives like Humanitarian Data Lab and mapping collaborations with OpenStreetMap and Mapbox. For spatial data it supports coordinate reference systems used by EPSG, and for temporal data it adheres to conventions from ISO 8601 and metadata practices from Project Open Data. APIs permit integration with platforms used by UNICEF dashboards, World Bank indicators, and analytics workflows at institutions like Johns Hopkins University and George Washington University.

Data Governance and Standards

Governance follows protocols influenced by bodies such as Committee on Data, International Aid Transparency Initiative, and Open Data Charter, ensuring compliance with data protection regimes like General Data Protection Regulation where applicable. The platform enforces licensing policies referencing Creative Commons licenses and guidance from Data Transfer Project and ethical frameworks developed by entities such as Harvard Humanitarian Initiative and Georgetown University. Quality control processes incorporate peer review from actors like ReliefWeb, Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team, and academic partners including University of Oxford and University of Cambridge.

Use Cases and Impact

Datasets hosted have supported operations during crises like the 2014 Gaza War, Typhoon Haiyan, and COVID-19 pandemic. Humanitarian organizations such as International Rescue Committee, CARE International, and Catholic Relief Services use the platform for needs assessment, logistics, and resource allocation alongside government responders in countries including Kenya, South Sudan, and Philippines. Researchers at institutions like Stanford University and Columbia University have used the data for analyses leading to publications and policy briefings for bodies such as United Nations Security Council and European Commission. Impact assessments reference improved situational awareness, faster decision cycles for World Food Programme supply chains, and enhanced coordination across clusters such as the Health Cluster and Logistics Cluster.

Partnerships and Funding

The initiative receives support from multilateral institutions like United Nations Development Programme, bilateral donors including United Kingdom, United States Department of State, and philanthropic organizations such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Open Society Foundations. Technical and infrastructure partnerships include Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud Platform, Microsoft Azure, and open-source communities like OpenStreetMap and Open Knowledge Foundation. Collaborative programs involve academic centers such as MIT Media Lab and policy units within European Commission and World Bank to advance standards, funding models, and sustainability strategies.

Category:Data portals Category:Humanitarian aid