Humanitarian situations and the evolving role of ICTs (ISS)

Holly Ritchie considers ICTs as embedded within a context of social and gendered

norms and explores processes of digital inclusion among Somali women refugees in the

fragile context of urban Kenya.

Rodrigo Mena explores ICT and digital payments, platforms and cryptocurrencies and

asks how these have shaped humanitarian action in the Ukrainian conflict.

Both papers ask how ICTs can prove transformational and our understanding of

technologies and their use be deepened to foster greater inclusion of vulnerable groups,

and improved accountability and responsiveness of aid agencies and humanitarian actors.

'An institutional perspective to bridging the divide'

'An institutional perspective to bridging the divide:

The case of Somali women refugees fostering digital inclusion in the volatile context of urban Kenya'Opens external New Media and Society (2022) Holly Ritchie.

This article examines the growing influence of ICTs in refugee contexts and the role of

civil society. It draws on a case study of Somali refugees in Kenya.

Dr Holly Ritchie

'Digital Humanitarianism in a Kinetic War: Taking Stock of Ukraine'

'Digital Humanitarianism in a Kinetic War: Taking Stock of Ukraine'Opens external 

Global Policy, (May 21, 2022) Rodrigo Mena and Kristin Bergtora Sandvik

The focus in this article is on the digital transformation of the humanitarian sector and

the alternative use of technology by various actors to respond to the humanitarian crisis

resulting from the war in Ukraine, for example, the use of platforms such as Airbnb, Telegram,

or cryptocurrencies for money transfers.