Transforming Humanitarian Aid Through Digital Communication

Every year, millions of people are forced to flee their homes due to conflicts and disasters. The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is meeting this challenge through their innovative Digital Community Hubs (DCH) initiative. Powered by partners Innovation Norway, Cisco, Meta, Telerivet, Twilio, OKTA, and Pluralsight, DCH is accelerating the delivery of vital humanitarian services.

Background
When COVID-19 struck in 2020, NRC needed to rapidly transform how they delivered humanitarian services. Traditional in-person aid delivery became challenging, yet the needs of displaced communities were greater than ever. NRC required a scalable solution to maintain and expand their reach while reducing dependence on physical resources.

Challenge
Humanitarian organizations face significant obstacles in delivering aid to displaced communities. Geographic constraints, security concerns, and limited resources often restrict access to vulnerable populations. Traditional aid delivery methods require substantial physical infrastructure and staffing, making rapid scaling difficult during crises. Additionally, maintaining consistent communication with mobile refugee populations and gathering real-time feedback on aid effectiveness presents ongoing challenges.

Solution
NRC's Digital Community Hubs initiative represents a comprehensive digital transformation of humanitarian services. The platform leverages mobile technology to create direct lines of communication with displaced communities, enabling rapid response and consistent engagement.

"Telerivet powers the delivery of mobile messages and USSD requests for NRC, enabling seamless communication across multiple regions. Leveraging Telerivet's advanced integration techniques, NRC can connect with local mobile service providers and major connectivity platforms to send and receive bulk messages effortlessly. This robust integration facilitated NRC's global operations, supporting critical programs in Uganda, Kenya, Venezuela, Palestine, and more. Through Telerivet, NRC successfully implemented solutions for information sharing, complaints and feedback mechanisms, WASH initiatives, cash voucher distribution, security updates, and post-distribution monitoring—demonstrating the power of scalable, reliable mobile communication worldwide."

- Anand Nair, Global Lead - Digital Community Hubs

Impact
DCH’s results have been transformative:

- In 2023, NRC reached over 465,000 people in less than a month with a small team using DCH technology – a task that traditionally would have required adding hundreds or thousands of staff members
- DCH has been deployed in more than 20 countries, serving over 750,000 families
- The platform enables rapid response and continuous engagement with displaced communities

Key Benefits:

1. Cost Reduction: Digital systems have significantly reduced expenses related to travel, assessments, and staffing
2. Increased Reach: The platform enables rapid response in sudden-onset humanitarian crises without physical access constraints
3. Scalability: Deploying the same product in different countries for a wide range of use cases allows for easy adoption by governments, agencies, and local organizations