Humanitarian Access and Technology: Opportunities and Applications

Technological advances that have recently emerged or become more widely available offer promising opportunities to support and improve humanitarian access. Yet some technologies may generate new forms of risk, and an over-reliance on technology may foster a widening gap between humanitarians and people in need. In light of these trends, this paper reviews several available technologies and explores the opportunities and challenges of applying them to improve humanitarian access. The paper also highlights areas for further research and encourages practitioners to apply technologies in a manner that is rooted in the core humanitarian principles.