China's Choices

Today, in sub-Saharan Africa and Central Asia the need for an accurate picture of events on the ground is being met by the Integrated Regional Information Networks [IRIN], part of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs [OCHA]. IRIN, which was born out of the 1994 crisis in the Great Lakes region of central Africa, pioneered the use of e-mail and web technology to deliver and receive information to and from some of the most remote and underdeveloped places in Africa, cheaply and efficiently. Its reporting focuses on strengthening universal access to timely, strategic and non-partisan information so as to enhance the capacity of the humanitarian community to understand, respond to and avert emergencies. IRIN further supports efforts at conflict resolution and reconciliation by countering misinformation and propaganda.



Governments, aid workers, civil societies, disaster specialists, members of the public all receive and contribute to regular reports on a wide array of political, economic and social issues affecting humanitarian efforts. IRIN takes an increasingly broad view of what comprises `humanitarianism` and seeks to cover the full range of humanitarian issues from the abuse of human rights to the environment. Moreover, local communities are a key component in the information exchange process, enriching IRIN reports with grassroots material and creating a platform for debate between humanitarian decision-makers and affected communities.