Helpful Information web-App

The Helpful Information web-App (HIA) is a source of information for people affected by disasters or crises. It provides information about services that the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement or other (local) aid organizations offer and/or provides answers to frequently asked questions.

HIA is easy to deploy, even without pre-existing infrastructure; the content is managed in a Google sheet, so that there are no technical skills needed to update the information; and it is very low cost.

In 2019, the first HIA product was designed with and for undocumented migrants living in the Netherlands. Since then, there have been multiple instances in different countries, for different target groups and in different emergency or program contexts. In some cases, the main target group is people affected themselves, whereas in other cases the main target group is Red Cross/Red Crescent staff and volunteers who directly communicate with people affected through digital channels (i.e., a WhatsApp helpdesk) or at physical locations (i.e., a Humanitarian Service Point).

“With HIA, the Netherlands Red Cross informs undocumented migrants about local aid offerings. The strength of HIA is that it is very easy to upload and maintain information on the website. This makes it possible to collaborate with local branches, where they keep track of the information.”  

Carry van Wersch, Programme Lead at the Netherlands Red Cross