As the global health community springs into action to support the DRC’s government-led response, GeoPoll conducted a nationwide survey in the DRC to assess public awareness and concern about the mpox outbreak. The remote mobile phone-based survey addressed a number of topics related to the outbreak, including:

• Awareness of the mpox outbreak in the DRC
• Understanding of mpox transmission and symptoms
• Household and community mpox experience and risk
• Awareness of the mpox vaccine
• Intent to vaccinate for mpox and reasons for hesitancy
• Sources of mpox and public health information
• Assessment of the government’s reaction to the outbreak

Findings from the survey show that almost all respondents are aware of the current mpox outbreak in the DRC (92%), primarily hearing about it through social media. Most are also familiar with the symptoms and recommended prevention measures for the disease.

Vaccination presents a different story, however, with only 39% of respondents aware that an mpox vaccine is available, and only 35% likely to get the vaccine if it is. The primary drivers of hesitancy include uncertainty about the vaccine’s effectiveness, lack of knowledge/awareness, and potential health risks. Distrust of health facilities also presents an obstacle.

Click below to download GeoPoll’s full written report on the mpox outbreak in the DRC or scroll down to view the survey data in the interactive dashboard.

Interactive Data Dashboard

Dive deeper into GeoPoll’s data on the mpox outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo using the interactive dashboard below. The dashboard provides responses to each question in the survey, filterable by gender, age group, and province.

Collect Data During Humanitarian Crisis with GeoPoll

GeoPoll is a full-service market and social research agency that conducts surveys via computer- assisted telephone interviewing (CATI), computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI), short message service (SMS), WhatsApp, and mobile web/mobile application communications. We also conduct online and offline qualitative research.

GeoPoll regularly conducts international development and humanitarian aid research for United Nations agencies, NGOs, governments, humanitarian groups and other stakeholders in the development and relief sectors.

In times of crisis, GeoPoll’s mobile surveys can reach aid beneficiaries and vulnerable populations to collect vital data on food security, disaster relief, and more. Our remote research capabilities and innovative technology platform allow GeoPoll to survey communities that are inaccessible following natural disasters, conflict, or disease outbreaks, enabling organizations to gather on-the-ground insights in real-time and disseminate information quickly and safely.

For more information about GeoPoll and this report, contact us today.

The post GeoPoll Reports: Mpox Outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo appeared first on GeoPoll.

To assess public awareness and concern about the cholera outbreak, GeoPoll conducted a nationwide survey in Zambia using its proprietary Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) application. The remote mobile phone-based survey addressed a number of topics related to the outbreak, including:

• Access to water for drinking, cooking, and hygiene
• Access to sanitation
• Awareness of the cholera outbreak in Zambia
• Understanding of the causes, risks, and symptoms of cholera
• Household cholera experience and concern
• Access to cholera treatment
• Assessment of the government’s reaction to the outbreak

Findings from the survey show that for more than a third of respondents (35%), there has been a time in the past month when their household did not have sufficient quantities of drinking water when needed. All respondents claim to be aware of the current cholera outbreak, and most understand the causes, symptoms and where to go to seek treatment. Although only 2% of respondents report that anyone in their household has ever suffered from cholera, 36% believe they are at risk of contracting cholera, and 70% are very concerned about getting cholera. This illustrates respondents’ understanding of the severity of the disease.

Click below to download GeoPoll’s full written report on the cholera outbreak in Zambia or scroll down to view the survey data in the interactive dashboard.

Interactive Data Dashboard

Dive deeper into GeoPoll’s data on the cholera outbreak in Zambia using the interactive dashboard below. The dashboard provides responses to each question in the survey, filterable by gender, age group, and province.

Collect Data During Humanitarian Crisis with GeoPoll

GeoPoll regularly conducts international development and humanitarian aid research for United Nations agencies, NGOs, governments, humanitarian groups and other stakeholders in the development and relief sectors.

In times of crisis, GeoPoll’s mobile surveys can reach aid beneficiaries and vulnerable populations to collect vital data on food security, disaster relief, and more. Our remote research capabilities and innovative technology platform allow GeoPoll to survey communities that are inaccessible following natural disasters, conflict, or disease outbreaks, enabling organizations to gather on-the-ground insights and disseminate information quickly and safely.

This study was implemented by GeoPoll using our own mobile research platform and extensive respondent database. The questionnaire was designed by GeoPoll researchers and conducted via GeoPoll’s Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) application. Data collection occurred from February 22 to March 2, 2024. The survey was offered in English, Bemba, and Nyanja, and conducted from the GeoPoll call center in Lusaka, Zambia.

The diverse sample for the study of 400 respondents includes a gender composition of 50% female and 50% male, and an age breakdown of 25% ages 18-24, 29% ages 25-34, 32% ages 35-50, and 15% ages 51 and over. All 10 provinces (ADM1) in Zambia are equally represented.

For more information on the sample and methodology for this study or to conduct a research study of your own using the GeoPoll CATI application and our call centers around the world, contact us today.

The post GeoPoll Reports: Zambia Cholera Outbreak appeared first on GeoPoll.

Since Russian troops first invaded Ukraine in February 2002, GeoPoll has been collecting data to monitor the situation on the ground using our Mobile Web survey platform. We published a series of reports in March and June 2022 detailing up-to-the-minute results from the surveys. Our interactive dashboard tracker (scroll to the bottom of this page) continues to display the full results, including responses to most survey questions filterable by region, age group, and gender, as well as trends over time.

In this post, we highlight key changes in the data over the past few months and detail the results from several new survey questions that have been added since the last report.

Perceptions of Foreign Influence

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is having global consequences. The far-reaching impact is forcing nations from around the world to weigh in on the crisis. While the United States, the European Union (EU), and their allies implement sanctions on Russia and provide military and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, other countries, including Iran and North Korea, have been supplying advanced weaponry to Russia.

Opinions of Foreign Entities

With much of the world involved in Ukraine in one form or another, we asked respondents for their opinions on several foreign powers. As the chart below displays, respondents in Ukraine clearly feel more favorably towards western powers that are supporting their efforts than they do towards China or especially Russia.

Perceived Value of Relationships with Foreign Entities

Respondents also express much more enthusiasm about building a closer relationship with the EU than with Russia. In response to Russia’s invasion, Ukraine recently became a candidate country to join the EU.

Many North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countries have provided arms and other military assistance to Ukraine since the war began but have drawn the line at offering troops. Following Russia’s annexation of four partially occupied regions in Ukraine on September 30, President Zelensky officially applied for “accelerated ascension” into NATO. Although unlikely in the near term, if Ukraine were to become a NATO member, other member countries would be obligated to join Ukraine’s defense.

In our study, aside from observed data irregularities in August (evident in the chart below and addressed at the end of this post) respondents have expressed overwhelmingly positive views about the prospect of Ukraine joining NATO. On average, 41% of respondents say it would be a “very good thing” for Ukraine to join NATO. Another 32% say it would be a “somewhat good thing.”

Russia’s announced annexation of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson on September 30 and its renewed bombing campaign starting on October 10 appear to have strengthened those views. On September 29, 40% of respondents said it would be a “very good thing” for Ukraine to join NATO. By the end of October, that percentage climbed to 59%.

Safety and Displacement

Personal Safety

More than half the respondents in our ongoing study (52%) have reported feeling unsafe in their everyday lives. With rapid Ukrainian advances pushing back Russian troops in September, the running percentage steadily declined. That trend changed in mid-October, however, when a fresh wave of Russian drone and missile strikes pushed the number of respondents feeling unsafe to 68%. The airstrikes marked the biggest escalation in the conflict since fighting began.

Personal and Observed Displacement

A similar trend surfaced for those saying they had to move or flee recently due to the war. After a gradual decline throughout September, the rate of displacement started to climb back up in mid-October along with the renewed bombing campaign, jumping from 27% to 40% by the end of the month. The UN estimates that more than 1 in 3 Ukrainians have been forced from their homes since the war began.

The percentage of respondents that claim to know someone that has been forced to move or flee has remained above 80% since last May. Where those people are moving, however, changed dramatically in October. On October 1, 30% of respondents said most of the people they know that have fled “have moved to another country.” That segment grew to 48% by October 31.

As of October 31, most respondents (82%) say they “plan to stay in the locality they are now” for the next few weeks. That percentage has climbed steadily since hovering around 67% in the month of May.

Access to Necessities

Coordinated missile attacks on Ukraine’s power grid are taking a toll. In addition to plunging much of the population into darkness, without electricity, authorities also struggle to provide citizens with water, fuel, or advanced medical care.

Food, Water, and Electricity Shortages

In our study, on October 10, 44% of respondents said they had experienced at least some shortages of necessities such as fuel, water, or electricity in the past few weeks. By mid-November, that percentage reached 80%.

Communication Outages

Communication services appear to be faring even worse. A combination of missile attacks and cyber-attacks have damaged much of Ukraine’s electrical and communications infrastructure. Starlink satellite service has served as a communications lifeline for many civilians and the military throughout the war, but also recently experienced outages. In our study, the percentage of respondents that report experiencing communications outages at least 2-3 times per week exploded from 7% in mid-October to 34% in mid-November. Only 13% of respondents from across the country say they never experience outages.

Primary News Platforms

Internet access is particularly important given the growing number of Ukrainians that rely on social media to follow the news. In our ongoing research study, the percentage of respondents using social media to follow the news has climbed steadily from 68% in early March to 87% on October 31. The percentage using TV has declined.

Building and Housing Status

Russia has bombarded towns and cities across all regions of Ukraine. Millions have been forced to flee some of the hardest hit locations already, but Russia’s recent escalation of missile attacks promises even more destruction and displacement in the days ahead.

Damage to Residential and Non-residential Buildings

Starting in October, we introduced questions in our survey asking respondents about the status of residential and non-residential buildings in their immediate area. As of November 15, 30% report at least moderate damage to the majority of residential buildings in their area, and 28% report at least moderate damage to the majority of non-residential buildings.

Current Living Situation

Respondents’ reported living situation follows their description of residential buildings in their area. Approximately 1 in 4 (24%) claim to currently be living somewhere other than their regular residence.

In July, the Ukrainian government estimated that more than 800,000 homes had been damaged or destroyed since Russia first invaded in February.

Impact on Daily Household Activities

Russia’s war has impacted almost every aspect of daily life in Ukraine. Aside from the dangers of the conflict and the damage to infrastructure, almost half the respondents in our study say the war has negatively impacted their ability to “socialize with friends and family” or to “go to work.” More than a third say it has impacted their ability to “run errands, such as grocery shopping, clothes shopping, or fueling vehicles.”

Humanitarian Relief

The Red Cross estimates that 18 million people in Ukraine are in need of humanitarian aid. Most respondents in our study (83% overall) say that humanitarian organizations are currently in their area to provide relief.

International Aid Received

The percentage that claims to have personally received aid in the form of food, money, water, or other supplies has more than doubled since March 2022, rising from 19% to 52% by mid-November.

As the fighting intensifies and temperatures drop, more and more Ukrainians are likely to find themselves in desperate need of humanitarian assistance. Even if the war ended immediately, the heavy damage already inflicted on homes, essential infrastructure, and people’s lives and well-being in the region will require substantial international funding and relief for many years to come.

Reconstruction Priorities

After more than eight months of war, the destruction of civilian infrastructure in Ukraine is enormous. Ukrainian President Zelensky recently stated that approximately 40% of the country’s entire energy infrastructure has been seriously damaged. Since mid-October, Russia appears particularly focused on attacking Ukraine’s electricity infrastructure.

Damage to Energy Infrastructure

Russia’s assault on Ukraine’s electricity infrastructure is reflected in the steadily growing number of respondents in our study that claim to have experienced “electricity” shortages since mid-October (much more than any other fuel source).

Physical Reconstruction Needs

Considering the current shortages, it follows that 3 out of 4 respondents in our study (74%) believe reconstructing their Oblast’s “power/electricity facilities” should be a top priority when hostilities cease. Rebuilding “roads” comes in a distant second at 31%. Rebuilding “homes” is rated the third highest priority at 21%.

Despite frequent reported outages, only 11% of respondents believe repairing their Oblast’s “telecommunications” infrastructure should be a top priority.

Data Irregularities in August

Looking back at trends in the survey data over the past eight months, curious spikes appear in the opposite direction of the trendlines in the middle of August. The number of survey completes also dropped during that timeframe. After averaging around 65 completes per day in the first 5 months of the study, the average fell to 18 completes per day between August 1 and August 21 – then immediately climbed back up to more than 60 completes per day starting August 22.

Digging deeper into the data, many of the spikes offer a pro-Russian sentiment. For example, respondents’ opinions of Russia and China are much more favorable in that timeframe, while their opinions of the US are much less favorable.

Other examples include:

• Those claiming to be ethnically Russian rose from 4% to 17% in August
• The percent claiming Russian as their primary language more than doubled (35% to 78%)
• Those saying joining NATO would be “a very bad thing” for Ukraine climbed from averaging less than 20% to 64%
• Those saying having a closer relationship with Russia would be “a very good thing” spiked from averaging less than 10% to 44%

To view the spikes in the trendlines for all survey questions, scroll down to our interactive dashboard tracker (scroll down).

Russia’s interference with Ukraine’s internet offers a potential reason for the spikes. As described in a New York Times article from August 9, Russia has been working to restrict, reroute, or shut down the internet and cellular networks in large sections of eastern and southern Ukraine. This control and censorship of Ukraine’s internet by Russia could help explain the increase in pro-Russian sentiment, as well as the decrease in survey completes in August. The article also describes how restoring connectivity has been one of Ukraine’s first objectives as they regain control of Russian-controlled regions, which could explain why Russian sentiment and the number of completes quickly returned to normal at the end of August.

Monitoring trends in data collection over time provides a unique opportunity to identify potential infiltration by parties that may wish to drive a particular narrative.

Interactive Data Dashboard

GeoPoll’s interactive data dashboard displays the full results from the ongoing survey in Ukraine, including responses to each question filterable by region, age group, and gender, as well as trends over time.

Click the arrows “< >” at the bottom of the dashboard to scroll through the following data tabs:

• All Data: Charts responses to each question in the survey filterable by region, age group, and gender
• Daily Data: Tracks daily responses to select questions in the survey
• Trends (10 Day Avg): Displays trends in responses to select survey questions using rolling 10-day averages

Conduct Research in Ukraine

GeoPoll has extensive experience conducting research in vulnerable areas using our remote mobile-based systems and methodologies. In times when it is otherwise impossible to get information from people on the ground, remote data collection can play a pivotal role in capturing the sentiment and realities in hard-to-reach populations.

To learn more about GeoPoll’s capabilities in Ukraine and around the world, please contact us.

The post GeoPoll Update on Russia’s War in Ukraine appeared first on GeoPoll.

With the conflict showing no signs of abating and international efforts to end the hostilities so far failing to yield any results, GeoPoll conducted a remote mobile phone-based survey in December, 2021 to gather on the ground information about the crisis. The survey reached a sample size of 418 respondents, which provides a 5% margin of error and a 95% confidence interval. The study was not purely scientific, however, as an ongoing communications blackout effectively prevented participation from much of Northern Ethiopia – Tigray in particular.

The questionnaire was designed by GeoPoll researchers, translated into the local language, Amharic, and conducted via SMS. All respondents opted in to the study and were given information regarding the confidentiality of their responses.

Jump to results

Topics covered in the survey include:

• Personal safety and displacement
• Employment and income changes
• Concerns about the conflict spreading
• Peacebuilding efforts
• Humanitarian aid presence
• Access to essential services (electricity, fuel, water, sanitation)
• Food security and malnutrition
• Communications outages
• Access to medical care and education
• Trusted news sources
• Outlook for Ethiopia’s future

Preliminary insights from the survey data are detailed in this post. To view the full results of the study, filterable by question, region, age group, and gender, scroll down to the Interactive Data Dashboard.

Personal Safety and Displacement

Despite a communications blackout limiting participation from Tigray and neighboring regions at the epicenter of the conflict, results from GeoPoll’s study show widespread unrest. Across Ethiopia, 17% of respondents have been forced to move or flee recently due to the conflict, and 50% know someone who has been forced to move or flee. According to respondents, most who have fled have stayed within Ethiopia.

Human rights groups have reported numerous incidences of atrocities against civilians by all the warring parties in the conflict. Although most of those atrocities have occurred in the northern regions behind the communications blackout, 38% of respondents in our study feel unsafe in their everyday life and 26% have personally witnessed violence. Only 22% report feeling “very safe.”

Concerns About the Conflict Spreading

International alarm about the escalating conflict has deepened in the past few months with the possibility of the fighting reaching the capital, Addis Ababa. The largest segment of respondents in our study (40%) say they are “extremely concerned” about the conflict reaching the capital.

So far, international calls for peace have failed to quell the fighting. Few in our study believe any international entities (African Union, UN, US, China, etc.) can play a significant role in peacebuilding efforts. Many say community leaders should play that role.

Despite growing international concern that the fighting in Tigray could break Ethiopia apart, 63% of respondents believe the country is headed in the right direction. Only 9% say it is headed in the wrong direction. Approximately one in every four respondents say they are not sure, illustrating the uncertainty of the current situation.

Humanitarian Crisis and Relief

According to the United Nations, the fighting in Ethiopia has driven hundreds of thousands into famine-like conditions.

The conditions are most dire in Tigray, where a de facto blockade has kept desperately needed aid from reaching the area for months.

A scan of the results from our study illustrates the hardships experienced outside of Tigray, including:

• 49% report a decrease in income in the past year
• 71% have experienced shortages of necessities in the past 30 days (fuel, water, etc.)
• 57% have experienced phone outages
• 42% find it difficult to access medical care
• 68% are very dissatisfied with the government’s ability to provide essential services
• 18% have gone to bed hungry in the past week
• 12% have a family member suffering from malnutrition
• 43% find it difficult to access the food supplies they need
• 16% of school-age children are not attending school (mostly girls)

In the midst of these hardships, most respondents do not believe humanitarian aid organizations are currently in their area to provide relief. Only 9% say they have received humanitarian aid in the past 30 days. In November, 2021, the United Nations announced it had released emergency funds to scale up humanitarian operations in Ethiopia. Delivering aid to citizens most in need remains a challenge, however.

Trusted News Sources

Journalists working in Ethiopia face restrictions under a nationwide state of emergency declared by the government in October, 2021. News stories are being strictly monitored and controlled, and more than a dozen journalists have been detained. In this hostile media environment, it follows that 29% of respondents in our study do not trust any sources of news. TV the most trusted news source at 38%. Social media comes in second at only 17%.

Interactive Data Dashboard

Dive deeper into the full results from this study using the dashboard below. The dashboard provides responses to each question in the survey, filterable by region, age group, and gender.

Conduct Research in Ethiopia

GeoPoll has extensive experience conducting research in vulnerable areas through remote mobile-based methodologies. In times when it is otherwise impossible to get information from people on the ground, remote data collection can play a pivotal role in capturing the sentiment and realities in hard-to-reach areas.

To learn more about GeoPoll’s capabilities in Ethiopia and around the world, please contact us.

The post REPORT: Ethiopia Conflict and Humanitarian Crisis appeared first on GeoPoll.

In this article, we outline the various areas, from our experience, that remote surveying and data collection enhances the efforts of international development organizations, governments, local NGOs, and other partners. Click on the headings to learn more about our work, use cases, and methodologies.

Data for Humanitarian Aid and Relief

When Cyclone Idai hit Mozambique, it was difficult for aid groups to know immediate needs and areas they needed to focus on. During various Ebola outbreaks and West and Central Africa, it was also impossible to access affected areas due to lockdowns and the disease’s contagious nature. In both cases, and many more incidences of natural disaster, conflict, and disease when affected populations are cut off from the rest of the world, GeoPoll has deployed our unique remote data collection and messaging capabilities to collect on the ground data that helped aid organizations, governments and rescuers act decisively to save lives and property.  

Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning

Donors, NGOs, and governments often need to assess the effectiveness of their programs and interventions and communicate their successes. Using remote mobile surveys, such organizations can measure project processes, demonstrate community attitudes and perceptions over time, and track the outcomes of project interventions more effectively on the ground for better and timely decision-making.

Food Security and Agricultural Production

In many of the emerging markets, food security is usually a significant concern. Over the years, GeoPoll has worked with tens of development organizations to remotely track multiple types of food security data such as food prices, market operability status, crop harvest data, and frequency of meal consumption, both for emergency assessments, ongoing monitoring, and one-off analyses of specific areas or populations.

Health & Nutrition Data

Using remote on-the-ground data, organizations can monitor and improve health systems. For example, when COVID-19 struck in 2020, health and humanitarian organizations worked with GeoPoll to understand the impact on health and health systems in emerging nations. We have also helped gather sensitive health information that would have been difficult with face-to-face research.

Democracy & Governance

GeoPoll’s mobile research and engagement platform allows governments and democracy groups to reach citizens in remote areas or conflict zones quickly and safely. Organizations can administer remote surveys and educational messages to extremely specific target populations, giving them the ability to assess situations and act upon the most up-to-date information quickly. This can be useful in monitoring government services, assessing the political climate, promoting transparency such as by tracking corruption incidence, monitoring security situations, and more.

Financial Inclusion

One of the most integral steps to developing financial inclusion frameworks is gathering realities and the opinions of banked and unbanked populations. That way, organizations can track financial inclusion rates, evaluate access to financial services, research financing gaps, and track growing trends such as usage of mobile money, mobile loan usage, and more. Over time, GeoPoll has perfected its remote mobile surveying capabilities to enable financial stakeholders to gather ongoing data to measure trends or gather one-off data from specific populations on their financial needs.

Energy, Climate & Environment

Climate Change is one of the hottest topics of the Century. As the globe brainstorms ways to combat the climate and environmental degradation, it is crucial to understand the changes happening in all areas, even the remotest, how that affects essential aspects such as food security and resilience, and grassroots opinions on the course of action.

Education & Employment

In tracking education and employment changes and improvements over time, remote surveying helps gather direct feedback on education and employment from communities, teachers, students, and parents on key service delivery indicators, including absenteeism, textbook availability, student-teacher ratios, and school infrastructure. It also helps understand specific perceptions, behaviors, and knowledge to design campaigns that improve educational outcomes and obtain ongoing feedback on program interventions. Governments, the private sector and development organizations can also gather data on education levels and employment and link private sector, academic institutions, and job seekers.

GeoPoll’s International Development Research Work

GeoPoll regularly conducts international development research for United Nations agencies, NGOs, governments, humanitarian groups, and other stakeholders in the development and relief sectors. We help collect ongoing tracking data or one-time project-based data collection fast and affordably owing to our unique technology, robust database and direct integrations with mobile network operators that enable us to reach any population worldwide.

Learn more about GeoPoll’s international development and humanitarian work.

The post How Remote Surveys Enhance International Development & Aid appeared first on GeoPoll.

In mid-December, GeoPoll began to make calls to Tigray and the neighboring Amhara region from our call center located in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, aiming to gather more information on the crisis and reach those who had been impacted. While communications outages were ongoing in some areas, GeoPoll was able to reach 434 respondents in Amhara and 46 in Tigray through Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI). CATI voice calls were made by trained interviewers in local languages (Amharic and Tigrinya). All respondents opted-into the study and were given information regarding the confidentiality of their responses.

Data from Tigray and Amhara, Ethiopia

While the results from our study are limited in scope and from a small sample size, they provide some insight into the current situation on-the-ground in Northern Ethiopia. Results show that a much higher percentage in Tigray than in Amhara have been forced to leave their home or know someone who has left their home, with 52% of those in Tigray saying they have fled their home in the past 2 months and 80% in Tigray knowing someone who has fled their home. A higher percent in Tigray (63% compared to 9% in Amhara) also say they have witnessed violence in the past two weeks, and that they do not feel safe in their homes

Food and livestock markets are more likely to be closed in Tigray, with 57% reporting that their food market is closed and 58% that their livestock market is closed.  Over half of those in Tigray report that they do not have access to medical care, and 80% have experienced phone outages, compared to 32% in Amhara who have experienced phone outages. Those in both Amhara and Tigray report shortages of necessities such as fuel, but they are more severe in Tigray; 87% in Tigray have experienced shortages of necessities while 40% in Amhara say the same.

Open-ended answers give more context to reasons why people have been displaced from their homes, with many citing conflict, the current food situation, necessity shortages, and violence people have witnessed. Regarding violence they had observed, one respondent stated that ‘I saw a battle in which the Tigray Special Forces attacked defense, and then the Amhara Regional State Special Forces came to rescue the defense force and fought to save them.’ Regarding the food situation, while some say it is fine now, others state there is a food shortage, with one respondent stating ‘There is low food supply and high increases in price.’ Answers around shortages of necessities mention food, water, and electricity, among other items. We also asked about current concerns and hopes for the future of Ethiopia, with many citing peace as a hope for the future of Ethiopia.

The full results of this study are available in the dashboard below. To learn more about GeoPoll’s capabilities in Ethiopia, please contact us.

The post Remote Data Collection in Northern Ethiopia: Tigray and Amhara appeared first on GeoPoll.

In such a crisis, the challenges that response and relief teams face cannot be overstated. Accessing the victims and assessing immediate needs is critical, but this can be an arduous task when areas are difficult to reach, as was the case with Mozambique when Cyclone Idai – and Cyclone Kenneth soon afterward – landed to great destruction.

After Cyclone Idai, data was required to help guide the humanitarian response. But, with challenges accessing affected areas, there was a need for a way to gather data both quickly and remotely. Leveraging our existing respondent database in Mozambique and mobile survey platform, GeoPoll deployed a series of remote SMS-based surveys to the regions hardest hit by the Cyclone in Mozambique. Data gathered included information on infrastructure damages, food security, and the aid needed most by the communities.

Due to the fast nature of SMS surveys, we were able to pass on this invaluable on-the-ground information to humanitarian organizations in real-time, enabling them to offer the humanitarian and health assistance needed.

Collecting Data During Disease Outbreaks

The Mozambique case is just one example of how data can be collected immediately and remotely following various humanitarian crises. Another use case is during infectious disease outbreaks when it is not safe or feasible for workers to collect data in-person.

During various outbreaks of Ebola between 2014 and 2019, GeoPoll conducted several SMS and CATI surveys in the worst-hit parts of Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, and the DRC to measure its impacts on the livelihoods of people and indicators such as food insecurity.

Currently, GeoPoll is running a series of research surveys to assess the impact of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic in several countries in sub-Saharan Africa. This freely available data is helping policymakers, international development organizations and brands make better decisions to reduce the spread and effect of the virus.

Data on Conflicts and Violent Extremism

Conflict is another humanitarian issue affecting many regions of the world from time to time. During a conflict, on-the-ground data is imperative for humanitarian aid groups and governments looking to measure the severity of the crisis and aid those in need. For instance, in April 2018, GeoPoll deployed our remote mobile data collection tool to collect vital information on food insecurity, levels of displacement, relief needs, and individual opinions from respondents in the war-ridden Ituri province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The data collected helped focus humanitarian aid efforts on protecting civilians from the side effects of war.

Data for humanitarian development and relief

Research points out the realities of broader populations. In times where it is otherwise impossible to get information from people on the ground, remote data collection can play a pivotal role in capturing the sentiment and realities in hard-to-reach areas. Over the years, GeoPoll has developed unique remote research systems, a large respondent database, and the experience to be able to assist essential humanitarian interventions through the provision of fast, reliable information in any circumstance.

We have worked with several international development groups and governments on a myriad of topics, including humanitarian aid, education and employment, monitoring and evaluation, food security, health, combatting violent extremism, governance, resilience, energy and climate, and financial inclusion among others. For more information and capabilities, please contact us here.

The post Collecting Data for Relief Remotely During Humanitarian Crises appeared first on GeoPoll.

Today, August 19^th, is World Humanitarian Day (WHD), which is a day of remembrance and appreciation for those who have put themselves at risk to help the most vulnerable people around the world. Humanitarian bravery and selfless servitude is cause for celebration, which is one aspect of World Humanitarian Day’s importance, yet the day also is for bringing attention to issues humanitarians face.

#NotATarget

One key issue for humanitarians is safety. In both 2017 and 2018, WHD was promoted on Twitter using the hashtag, “#NotATarget”, in order to raise awareness to the vulnerability humanitarians are subjected to when providing assistance to those in need. Although it is illegal to act violently against humanitarians in-the-field, attacks are still very common. The types of violence that are popular are looting, sexual assault, arson, and bombings. According to the WHO, acts of violence against humanitarians are under-reported yet in “2016 there were 302 reported attacks in 20 countries that were facing emergencies, which resulted in 418 death and 561 injuries to health workers. 74% of these attacks were bombings.”

An unfortunate reality is that no matter the number of tweets posted that used the hashtag, #NotATarget, and no matter how much publicity World Humanitarian Day receives, these types of violent attacks are still going to occur. Thinking about this reality is frustrating to many, which leads to discourse surrounding alleviating the issues that are so present for humanitarian workers.

Communication Channels for Humanitarian Crisis

The 2019 International Response Expo participated in the discussions around the issues when they named communication a top trend and challenge of the year in the humanitarian space. They defined their use of the word “communication” to mean “communication channels between government, humanitarian agencies, aid workers and crisis-affected people” and commented on the intent for strong communication is not enough.

At GeoPoll we believe that strong communication is an achievable goal for the humanitarian community because GeoPoll has been able to facilitate such communication in the past. GeoPoll has been able to bridge gaps in communication for humanitarian organizations by connecting the organizations with civilians on-the-ground in some of the hardest-to-reach regions in the world. We have been able to perform these connections through the power of a remote mobile-phone-based survey methodology in sudden-onset crises, like following Cyclone Idai, in

widespread crises like Ebola in Sierra Leone, and in conflict zones, like South Sudan.

Remote Mobile-Phone-Based Surveys for Humanitarian Crisis Response

Our GeoPoll facilitated studies for humanitarian response have been able to quickly and remotely gather information directly from civilians for humanitarian responders. The information that can be gathered though this type of process is fully customizable to the needs of the situation at hand. For example, after Cyclone Idai, GeoPoll conducted a study immediately following the storm to find out specific information about damages and what the most urgent needs were by those affected. During South Sudan’s food crisis, GeoPoll was able to reach a variety of civilians experiencing severe food shortage that was able to inform foreign humanitarians where the points with the highest need were. Studies like these are specifically important for humanitarian response not only for the purpose of gathering specific information but because they are remotely administered.

The remote nature of mobile-phone-based SMS surveys provides two key advantages for humanitarian response: safety and quick accessibility. Despite violent acts that plague humanitarians that make the work very dangerous, there are also quite a few factors of the work itself that can provide significant danger as well. For example, after natural disasters there are many environmental dangers humanitarians are exposed to—after an earthquake, there could be aftershocks that could cause entrapment in rubble, after cyclones, there could be dangerous flooding, etc. Another good example is conflict-afflicted zones. In areas dealing with violence and conflict, it can be almost impossible to deploy humanitarians on-the-ground to assess need, much less provide civilian assistance. Remote survey research in cases such as these are not only important for evaluating civilian need before humanitarian feet hit the ground in affected areas, but also are very important for evaluating safety of areas for humanitarians and can guide development of precautions for the humanitarian service, can help with briefing humanitarians on what specific situations may be encountered in-the-field.

Many humanitarian crises can escalate quickly, which is a reason to consider planning in advance for potential scenarios. Having a questionnaire developed in advance of a crisis can help with dispatching research studies even more quickly after devastating events like a natural disaster. GeoPoll’s team of humanitarian research experts would be happy to help with the scripting of a questionnaire before, during, or after a crisis occurs. Results from our data collection are available for analysis in near real-time which allows for information to reach your hands for a quick response. If you would like to learn more about how GeoPoll can help your organization help others, contact us today.

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