News spreads quickly around the world in the immediate aftermath of a crisis. Details, videos, and testimonials circulate on the web and via media outlets within seconds of a natural disaster or the outbreak of violence.
But for people in the midst of the crisis, getting information is usually much harder. Power goes down. Mobile networks fail. Local journalists can be victims and even become targets themselves, unable to report out. And survivors are often left to rebuild their lives with no effective means to communicate with those providing aid.
There is growing evidence that communicating with local populations and understanding local information ecosystems are critical before, during, and after a crisis. Internews' experience and recommendations for improving two-way communication with disaster-affected communities are captured in When Information Saves Lives, the 2011 Annual Report of Internews Humanitarian Information Projects.
In 2011, Internews conducted extensive assessments of information gaps and needs, with recommendations for immediate action in Kenya, Liberia, Tunisia, Libya, and Sri Lanka. Internews implemented humanitarian information projects in Haiti, Pakistan, South Sudan, Chad, and Central African Republic.
In the past year, Internews humanitarian work evolved significantly, fostered by its involvement in responses to local crises, a renewed interest among humanitarian actors in accountability to beneficiaries, and a growing recognition within the humanitarian field of the importance of communication with disaster-affected communities.
When Information Saves Lives provides resources for aid agencies, governments, and media outlets, and calls on all humanitarian actors to operate on the principle that communication is aid.