Resources: Case Studies - Technologies

Twitmobil is a system of receiving Twitter feeds on a mobile phone by subscribing to a specific feed. It is a service available via both mobile phone networks in Haiti (Digicel and Voila), whereby subscribers who have a Twitter account can – instead of using the Internet – receive any tweets posted by their chosen Twitterers, real time on their mobile phones.

The provision of shelter to earthquake survivors is one of the most complex and emotive aspects of the overall response to the disaster. In an environment as volatile as Haiti, where some communities react violently to perceived mishandling of projects, threats to destroy aid such as t-shelters have been reported by several partners and maintaining a secure working environment can be a major challenge.

After the earthquake, the British Red Cross (BRC) established a programme to subsidise the school fees of 8,000 children displaced by the earthquake to the southern rural area of Les Cayes. After assessing families to see if they qualified, BRC faced the problem of communicating its decision to the many thousands of families involved. These were mostly scattered across a large area and involved many different schools.

In any emergency, be it natural disaster or man-made, long- or short-term, people's lives are turned upside down. Knowing what's happening, where to go for assistance and who to call for help is crucial to their survival and recovery. 

As famine is declared in five regions of neighbouring Somalia, ActionAid is working to improve vital communication with drought-affected populations in northern Kenya.