United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres inaugurated the Humanitarian Data Center on December 22 in The Hague, Netherlands. This center aims to facilitate the exchange and use of real-time data. It will enable us to respond more effectively to humanitarian crises around the world.
The Secretary-General recalled that 136 million people are currently victims of crises. It is essential for humanitarian organizations to know exactly what their situation is, to have figures on their environment, and to exchange this information rapidly.
"Accurate data is the cornerstone of good policy and decision-making. Getting it and sharing it among hundreds of organizations, in the midst of a humanitarian emergency, is complicated and time-consuming, but absolutely crucial." Antonio Guterres
During the devastating hurricanes in the Caribbean, the exchange of early warning data enabled governments and international organizations to prepare and evacuate populations in good time.
The new center should therefore facilitate the work of humanitarian organizations and workers, by focusing on three areas: network building - bringing them into contact with academics and technology experts - and data access and protection.
Managed by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and supported by the Dutch government, this center is, according to Antonio Guterres, an "indicator for the future". "It will help humanitarians to make informed and responsible decisions to meet people's most urgent needs".