In war-ravaged Libya, young people are actively turning towards technology to help themselves get back on track toward progress. After years of political disruption, a tech competition organized to encourage and promote tech culture and the start-up spirit among the youth witnessed overwhelmingly enthusiastic participation. The event organizers hope that such events will "open new horizons" for young Libyans. They say that the competitions are helping the young to not only dabble with technology but also manage their relationships and work towards inclusion, unity and peace.
Similarly, in Nigeria, a $672 million fund was recently initiated to support cash-strapped start-ups in the tech and creative sectors. Nigeria boasts a high number of start-ups in the tech and fintech sector, which still struggle to attract funding as they are unable to provide banks with the necessary collateral for loans. The Digital and Creative Enterprises Programme (DCEP) fund will target job creation opportunities in the tech and creative sectors.
Indeed, technology is transforming many aspects of our lives, albeit in both positive and not-so-positive ways. However, in an increasingly digital-first world, we should endeavor to utilize the capabilities of technology to enhance our lives, and this article aims to shed light on such developments that are positively impacting the humanitarian sector.
One company that has been leveraging satellite connectivity for humanitarian operations is IEC Telecom, an international satellite service operator that delivers proprietary communication solutions to areas with no/limited GSM access.
The company utilizes an advanced filtration toolkit to reduce consumption for unessential operations and instead channel valuable data toward mission-critical operations. Focusing on wider adoption of satcom operations through cost savings, IEC Telecom offers many compression services that reduce the size of files in transfer by up to 95%. To ensure secure humanitarian operations, the company offers NGOs a multi-layer cyber shield to cover all types of online interactions, from basic email exchanges to big data transfers.
Talking about their newest solution portfolio, Nabil Ben Soussia, chief commercial officer, IEC Telecom Group, says, “Xpand by IEC Telecom is a comprehensive system powered by Starlink and enhanced with OneGate, our proprietary digital network management system. OneGate allows terminal owners to issue partial data vouchers, as such, enabling the whole [of economically challenged] communities to share the same subscription. Xpand comes with a suite of optimized applications designed to consume less traffic than popular software. This way, such advanced services as telemedicine and remote learning are becoming increasingly accessible to remote communities.”
Innovation Under Pressure
Motivated by the February earthquakes in Turkey and Syria that brought down entire communication systems, a local company, i2i, has vowed to tackle such unfortunate occurrences in the future on their terms. The company has decided to upgrade its existing multi-vendor integrated private 5G network system and develop it into a “5G network-in-a-box” that could be transported to disaster areas to provide local 5G coverage and be powered either by the availability of the local grid, a generator or even batteries. A prototype system that integrates a combination of multi-vendor technology platforms, including satellite communication, is expected to be ready in the coming three to four months. Once enough portable 5G network systems units are operational, rescue teams in the field can have readily available connectivity for efficient operations.
Aiding Affected Telecommunication
Moreover, as part of UAE’s "Gallant Knight / 2" campaign to support the earthquake-affected people in Turkey and Syria, Etisalat by e& UAE sent telecommunication equipment worth AED 20 million ($5.5 million) as humanitarian support to rebuild Turkey’s telecommunication infrastructure in earthquake-affected areas. The equipment included over 4,000 radio and digital units to reactivate damaged mobile phone networks and restore the disrupted service. Several telecom companies have offered assistance to rebuild the networks that were damaged beyond repair.
Tech at Its Best
During the rescue operation in Turkey and Syria, social media was used to share vital information instantly as well as organize support. Rescuers were able to pull victims from the rubble when they had shared their locations through their social apps. Supported by blockchain technology, the crypto communities were able to raise millions of dollars in donations, keeping the financial stream flowing while banking operations failed due to the communication breakdown. Furthermore, developers set up fast-loading basic HTML open-source crisis assistance websites and platforms that were able to create heat maps for rescue services. Combined with AI technology, rescuers were able to identify survivors with information gathered from their calls for help; streamline blood bank information; and provide makeshift accommodations, other urgent humanitarian assistance, medical aid, etc. Satellite images expedited relief operations in the worst-hit locations and helped determine the state of infrastructure in order to deliver aid most efficiently.
Apart from the life-saving recovery and support efforts that we have seen over the years, technology is poised to make communities safer and more resilient through the predictive analysis of potential catastrophes and the prevention of cyberattacks using emerging technologies such as AI, ML and digital twins, among others. Technology complements efficient humanitarian work, which is as important as ever in today’s world. Governments and private aid agencies and organizations would do well to invest in these technologies to scale up solutions that could effectively make the world that much safer for humanity.
