A newsletter on Responsible AI and Emerging Tech for Humanitarians 

When a child shows early signs of malaria in a remote village, or a mother in a refugee camp needs urgent health advice before dawn, the speed at which help arrives can determine everything. Around the world, humanitarian health systems are stretched thin: clinics in displacement settings are overwhelmed, doctor-to-patient ratios are shrinking [1], and funding continues to tighten. [2] At the same time the number of people needing humanitarian assistance increases.  

Against this backdrop, AI has begun to quietly move into humanitarian health. The technology helps to forecast outbreaks, triages patients, supports vaccination tracking, and delivers care at a distance when human capacity is limited. From AI-powered disease models that anticipate malaria or cholera surges [3], to telemedicine tools that help IRC teams reach more refugees with fewer clinicians [4], the technology is reshaping what is possible when resources are scarce. 

There are other examples of emerging technologies in humanitarian health that are grounded in local realities. Tools like the Children’s Immunization App (CIMA) help clinics track vaccination schedules and send automated reminders to parents in settings like Zaatari refugee camp. [5] Drones have been trialled to deliver health care kits to potentially support during the first 72 hours of crises when roads are impassable. [6]  Even AI-supported mental health apps are emerging to help refugees cope with their experiences and the trauma and uncertainty resulting from it. [7]

But they also pose risks that cannot be ignored. Sensitive health information can be exposed. Algorithms can reinforce blind spots and bias in health decisions and thereby widen health inequities. And when an AI system recommends who gets care first or what treatment is appropriate, who ultimately holds responsibility? Humanitarian organisations are increasingly clear that AI can support decisions, but must never replace human judgment, ethics, and accountability. 

As the sector leans into AI to help meet the rising demand, this month we explore how humanitarian actors can embrace this innovation safely and ethically.  

Case Study

Artificial intelligence in Medical Epidemiology (AIME)

Predicting a crisis before it happens 

In the resource-scarce field of humanitarian health, the AI-driven system AIME (Artificial Intelligence in Medical Epidemiology) is helping transform how outbreaks are detected and managed, for example Dengue, the mosquito-borne infection. The tool combines “real-time data generated by doctors, who send in notifications of Dengue cases” with environmental, socioeconomic and weather variables that influence the spread of dengue (such as thunderstorms). This enables the tool to forecast diseases like dengue up to three months before escalation, with localised accuracy down to around 400 metres. Trials in Malaysia, Brazil and the Philippines achieved predictive accuracies above 80 %. 

This shift, from passive case-detection to proactive outbreak forecasting, lets health agencies mobilise resources and preventatively act ahead of time instead of simply responding. While the model is promising, its success depends on rapid data capture, locally-relevant inputs and robust governance around data privacy and algorithmic fairness. 

Who’s Doing What 

Other examples of AI tools being used across the humanitarian sector. 

International Foundation for Recovery and Development (IFRAD) - Uganda’s AI framework to transform health supply chain

In collaboration with the Health Ministry and Kyambogo University, IFRAD are developing a platform to ensure that essential medicine and therapeutic supplies reach even the most remote and low connectivity areas across the country. Building on the governments systems, an AI enabled integration layer ensures predictive ordering and redistribution to eliminate medicine shortages.
📎Contact: LinkedIn / website

World Health Organisation - The Africa Infodemic Response Alliance (AIRA)

AIRA is a WHO-hosted regional network uniting fact-checking, media, innovation and public-health organisations to coordinate infodemic responses across Africa. AIRA employs AI-powered social and community listening tools to monitor and analyse large volumes of online (and in some cases offline) data, including news articles, social media posts, WhatsApp/Telegram messages, and radio transcripts, to detect emerging misinformation, information gaps, and public concerns.
📎Contact: hoelodie@who.int

Sphere in collaboration with UKHIH, P-FIM, and CCCM Cluster – Humanitarian Standards Platform

Sphere is developing an XML-first publishing and content management platform for the humanitarian sector. Sphere and the Humanitarian Standards Partnership (HSP) have been using this technology since 2018 to drive down publishing costs and maximise the accessibility of their content – including via the Interactive Handbook. From early 2026, an upgraded platform – the Humanitarian Standards Platform – will host humanitarian standards alongside Elrha WASH innovations, P-FIM reports, and CCCM Cluster case studies.
📎Contact: communications@spherestandards.org

Editor’s Choice 

Curated reads and resources our team found especially insightful this month. 

AI in Humanitarian Healthcare: A Game Changer for Crisis Response, Haykal et al. (2025) A comprehensive review showing how AI is being deployed across humanitarian health settings, from disease forecasting and telemedicine to supply-chain optimisation, while highlighting persistent ethical risks like bias, data privacy and unequal access. 

AI-supported telemedicine brings health care to refugees, Devex (2024) Shows how AI-enhanced telemedicine is changing care in refugee camps by enabling faster triage, specialist consultations, and better continuity of care even where doctors are scarce. While this technology is promising, we cannot forget challenges around connectivity, bias, and ensuring no one is left behind in this shift to digital health that need to be tackled.  

How UNHCR uses AI to transform Refugee Services AI For Good (2025) From the AI For Good Conference in Geneva, a conversation with Hovig Etyemezian UNHCR about how the organisation is experimenting with AI to improve services to refugees but also to better understand their needs. Hovig dives into the question whether AI enables us to scale our response in response to growing numbers of refugees.    

NetHope Global Summit 2025

The 2025 NetHope Global Summit brought together humanitarian leaders, technology partners, nonprofit practitioners, and philanthropists, both in-person and virtually, to explore resilience, digital transformation, and chart the future together. At a time when AI is evolving quickly and the use in the nonprofit sector is also accelerating, the topic was prevalent throughout the Global Summit with multiple sessions exploring how nonprofits can harness digital innovation to strengthen resilience and impact. 

Recognizing the significant AI readiness gap in the nonprofit sector, the Global Summit featured numerous sessions meeting organizations at every stage of their AI journey. Sessions included foundational topics, scaling challenges and conversations about responsible implementation. AI was also featured throughout the Main Stage sessions, including "AI for Nonprofits: Beyond the Hype," where NetHope was proud to have Elrha CEO, Kate Maina-Vorley join the discussion. This honest dialogue discussed the realities that nonprofits face when utilizing AI safely and responsibly to scale practical solutions, particularly at a time of decreasing funding and increasing crisis.  

Save the date for the 2026 NetHope Global Summit in October, taking place in-person in Amsterdam and virtually. Be the first to receive updates when they become available by joining the interest list here. 

Voices from the sector on emerging tech deployment in humanitarian response.

In this episode of Humanitarian AI Today, host Brent Phillips speaks with Siem Vaessen, CEO of Zimmerman, and Sylvan Ridderinkhof, data engineer at Zimmerman, about the changing landscape of AI, open data, and humanitarian collaboration. Drawing on insights from NetHope, IATI’s evolving strategy, and Zimmerman’s own tooling for aid data publication and analysis, the conversation explores how the sector can respond to shrinking budgets, rising technical complexity, and growing expectations for transparency. 

The guests reflect on the renewed importance of open data standards like IATI, the challenges of ensuring data quality and trust in an AI-driven time, and how the next generation of tools may enable more intuitive and accessible use of aid information. They also discuss the risks of AI-generated misinformation, the environmental footprint of AI systems, and the urgent need for cross-organisational collaboration, including stronger engagement with local actors. 

Above all, the episode highlights a shared message: the future of humanitarian technology depends not just on powerful tools, but on collaboration, openness, and responsible innovation. 

🕐 Run time:  ~50 min

Stay ahead of funding calls and events.

IEEE Humanitarian Technologies  - The GenAI for good challenge
Deadline: 1 December 2025
Supports teams building generative AI solutions focussing on: 1) Agriculture Extension Chatbot (country: Lesotho); 2) Non-Communicable Disease Prevention (country: The Gambia); or Extreme Weather Advisor (country: Bangladesh). Up to $25,000.
More info

The European Space Agency Φ-lab and Save the Children – 2nd Grand Marathon
Deadline: 4 January 2026
Supports any startup, company, agency, NGO or institution developing Earth Observation solutions aimed at protecting civilians in disaster and public-safety contexts, with a focus on AI-enabled concepts or methods. Up to €215k
More info

Directory for social change - The Charity AI Update
When: 27 January 2026, 9.30 - 13.30 (paid, online)
Tailored to the charity/ non for profit sector, this event covers foundations of AI, the organisational components of implementing AI, understanding ethics, inclusivity and risk, as well as a practical guide.
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Disclaimer: The views expressed in the articles featured in this newsletter are solely those of the individual authors and do not reflect the official stance of the editorial team, any affiliated organisations or donors.