This Humanitarian Talk will aim to look at the dynamic advancement of digitalisation tools in humanitarian operations, with a specific focus on health care in humanitarian settings. It will analyse the impact of digitalisation as a transformative factor for both people in need and those providing humanitarian relief. The panel discussion will share UNRWA best practices and discuss the lessons learnt, which may be applied for an enhanced humanitarian response capacity by a variety of humanitarian actors worldwide.

It will particularly showcase the approach and planned objectives of the “Digital Transformation in Health and Education” project supported by the Federal Republic of Germany through KfW at the current stage of its implementation; and illustrate where digitalisation may also be adopted as a means to promote employability of refugee youth (IT Service Centre, based in Gaza). Based on the acknowledgement that digitalisation is transforming the way in which humanitarian assistance is designed and delivered, panel participants - including voices from the UN, donor representatives, private sector and refugee community - will reflect on its opportunities and challenges; look at the feasibility and future needs of continued digitalisation in humanitarian contexts; reflect on whether digitalisation may be shifting the focus from response and recovery to better prevention and preparedness in humanitarian operations; look at which shared technological standards, privacy and cybersecurity issues it is necessary to address; and how the private sector can contribute to support digitalisation in humanitarian contexts. As a major highlight, the event will provide the occasion for ECHO’s launch of its Policy Framework on Digitalisation.

Organisers: UNRWA-BMZ

Co-Chairs:

• Sam ROSE, Director of Planning, UNRWA
• Henriette Sachse, Deputy Head of Division, Department of Transitional Development Assistance, BMZ

Speakers:

• Kaan Cetinturk, Director of Information Management and Technology, UNRWA
• Dilara Anna Fuchs, Portfolio Manager, Middle East Department, KfW Development Bank
• Joanna Darmanin, Head of Humanitarian Aid Thematic Policies, ECHO
• Sameer Chauhan, Director, UNICC
• Elisa Gastaldi, Global Affairs Manager, Siemens Healthineers