Aleppo overview - Key issues - March 2013
These are products that are produced in response to armed conflict or other situations of violence such as political unrest. A humanitarian response in this situation is likely to be multi-faceted, and so as many specific map types may be equally applicable in complex emergencies as in natural disasters. There is likely to be particular considerations given to mapping humanitarian access and protection issues, and to tracking recurring phases of displacement and return.
Strategic or operational?
Both.
Basemap, baseline or situational?
Situational.
When might it be produced?
Products may be in demand at all stages. Crises including conflict or violence may be protracted and exhibit multiple stages of impact on affected populations.
Intended audience
All humanitarian responders.
Influence on humanitarian decisions
As with natural disasters, maps are important for multiple aspects of humanitarian responses to armed conflict and violence, including situational appreciation, needs assessment, mobilising resources, inter- agency coordination, safety and security of aid personnel, and monitoring of the response.
Methods
- All data processing and mapping in complex emergencies must give full regard to potential protection issues through disclosure of the whereabouts of vulnerable populations, and of the risks to aid agencies from any misconstrued motives around humanitarian mapping.
- The chief driver of humanitarian need in complex emergencies is often displacement. Tracking displaced populations and their needs is therefore often a priority.
- Humanitarian access to affected communities and displaced groups may be limited, and mapping should support the maintenance and use of such access that does exist. This may mean that map circulation needs to be restricted to screened groups of users.
Data
- Basemap, baseline and situational data needs are not fundamentally different from those of a natural disaster, however special care may need to be taken when processing and using data on vulnerable populations to ensure they are not put at greater risk.