There is no one-size-fits-all way to help refugees. As the world becomes increasingly complex new systems, technologies and innovations can help challenge the status quo.
Handled responsibly and creatively, innovations in data and technology can unlock insights and solutions for global displacement challenges and help improve humanitarian interventions, connecting services to the people who need them most.
USA for UNHCR supports innovative programming by UNHCR’s Innovation Service and through The Hive, USA for UNHCR’s Data Science Innovation Lab.
"In Syria we were used to a particular lifestyle, and then we were disconnected from it when we became refugees . . . For someone who is used to having electricity, you cannot imagine how difficult it is to live without it."
- Syrian refugee, Azraq camp, Jordan
UNHCR’s Innovation Service and The Hive – USA for UNHCR’s innovation lab are working closely together to drive forward the ethical and responsible use of exponential technologies in humanitarian response.
Together, these two teams are supporting diverse initiatives that seek to bring an equitable and human rights-based approach to new data sources and technologies, ensuring UNHCR has the information it needs to deliver a more effective, context-specific and people-centered response.
The Innovation Service is committed to creating an environment for innovation to flourish at UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. UNHCR’s Innovation Service provides critical support to test, iterate and upscale new initiatives that will enable the agency to better deliver on the mandate to protect and support refugees now and in the future.
The Service works to realize this goal through five key workstreams – Data Innovation, Digital Innovation, Environment and Resilience, Refugee-led Innovation and Innovation Learning. These programs engage UNHCR colleagues, partners, and forcibly displaced and stateless communities to champion innovative approaches and projects that tackle some of the most complex challenges facing displaced communities around the world.
The kinds of projects supported by the four Innovation Funds include improving community-based protection monitoring in Afghanistan, devising an address system for informal tented settlements in Lebanon and developing a global early warning system for forced displacement. These projects are working with new tools in innovative ways to support the wellbeing and inclusion of displaced communities.
Shelter and collective action take center stage at the year’s #Innovate4Refugees gathering
The Hive, USA for UNHCR’s data science innovation lab, convened its annual event, #Innovate4Refugees, to exchange ideas on open technology innovations for sustainable settlements and housing for refugees.
Learn MoreHive Advisory Board member breaks down how technology is helping deliver results for refugees
Gotam Bhardwaj is a member of USA for UNHCR’s Hive Advisory Board (HAB) and the Co-Founder of Pairity. Hear from Gotam about the role technology plays in delivering solutions for refugees and how HAB is playing an essential role.
Learn MoreKakuma and Kalobeyei: Drone Imagery and Machine Learning for Better Planning of Refugee Settlements
The Hive, USA for UNHCR’s data science and innovation lab, is conducting research to better understand how high-impact problems, including refugee settlement planning, can be addressed with artificial intelligence.
Learn MoreOther Programs
Help Refugee Families
War, violence and persecution have forced millions of families from their homes. They urgently need shelter, protection and safety. You can help rush critical supplies like medicine, clean water, food and tents to desperate children and families. You can provide refugees with emergency support, long-term care and hope for the future.
