Paper details

Paper authors	Léa Macias
In panel on	Trust in Humanitarian Numbers? Bringing Critical Data Studies into Humanitarian Studies
Paper presenter(s) will be presenting	In-Person / Online

Abstract

The humanitarian world has been digitalizing since the 90’s. Digital humanitarianism – managing adequate humanitarian responses on the basis of, for example, infrastructure maps, online dashboards and applications – is an important yet understudied research area. This communication focuses on the use of digital tools to manage humanitarian operations in Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan. Drawing on ethnographic research to study the digitalisation of humanitarian operations it illustrates how digitalization and innovation are impacting both humanitarian staff as well as the refugees as beneficiaries but also political actors of the camp. The choice of a focus on Zaatari allows for the deconstructing of the proliferating celebratory discourses and practices of the humanitarian world especially regarding the adoption of new technologies and digital innovations. The digitalization of humanitarian operations can be paradoxically seen as a new model of remote management of the space. And if information is important to design an adequate response, the initial mandate of a camp is to protect the refugees. However, this fundamental role seems to have been forgotten, particularly when it comes to their digital rights. Through observations and interviews it becomes clearer that data and information are social objects constructed for cooperation and coordination. They are created to represent an ‘objective proxy’ all humanitarian actors can agree or argue upon. After 1) setting a broader overview of what digital humanitarianism is, this communication will 2) detail the methodology of this ethnographic study 3) empirically demonstrate how Zaatari camp, through dynamics of humanitarian data operations, is reinforced as a place of remote management and 4) elaborate on the digital rights of refugees.

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