Humanitarian Information Centers
- Humanitarian Information Centers
A Humanitarian Information Centre (HIC) is a common service to the humanitarian community managed by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) through its Field Information Services (FIS) unit. HICs are operated in coordination with a number of partners which may include the United Nations Joint Logistics Centre (UNJLC), the Swedish Rescue Services Agency (SRSA), the European Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO), and the NGO MapAction.
The last time a HIC was set up was during the conflict in Lebanon. It was in operation between August and October 2006.
Description
A HIC may be set up in response to a major natural disaster or conflict-related humanitarian emergency. The HIC will normally remain in operation for several months after the disaster event, until the recovery phase is well under way.
A HIC provides a shared resource (including a physical facility in the affected country) that allows relief organisations to share information about the emergency. HICs assemble, analyse and publish information from the humanitarian organisations working in that area, as "information products" such as contacts lists and situation maps. They also provide other services detailed in the next section.
The wider goals of the HIC system include helping the humanitarian community to improve the management of information, by making better use of basic "building blocks" such as place codes and links to mapping.
Services provided by a HIC
The services provided by a HIC will vary somewhat from emergency to emergency. However, typically a HIC provides a range of services and products including:
* orientation products (including contact lists and meeting schedules)
* map products (covering themes from administrative boundaries to security concerns)
* technical advice and information about data standards, to enable information to be shared effectively
* a physical space for information coordination, and sometimes an "internet cafe" for the user organisations
External links
* [http://www.humanitarianinfo.org Humanitarian Information Center]
* [http://www.unhic.org United Nations Humanitarian Information Center for Pakistan]
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