Global Issues

When Information Saves Lives

Engaging Local Media in Humanitarian Crises

INFORMATION SAVES LIVES

Jaime Little/Internews

RADIO BY AND FOR DARFUR REFUGEES: When two women in a refugee camp in eastern Chad had to give birth by C-section, a rumor spread among the other camps that pregnant women who went to the Western-run clinics would have their babies cut out of their stomachs. Many women decided to give birth in their tents instead, without medical assistance. An Internews-founded radio station was able to clear up the misconception by interviewing doctors as well as women who had given birth normally at the clinics. The camps soon saw an increase in the number of women seeking to give birth at clinics.

In times of humanitarian crises, people affected by the unfolding tragedy need more than the physical necessities of life: they also have an urgent need for information. In the wake of crises ranging from earthquakes to civil war, survival can depend on knowing the answers to questions such as: What is the extent of the damage? Should I stay with my family or go for help? Where can I get clean water? Is it safe to go back home?

In these desperate circumstances, rumors and misinformation spread rapidly, making a bad situation even worse. For instance, after the 2005 Pakistan earthquake, a rash of deadly tent fires in the camps was traced back to a rumor that rubbing tents with kerosene could prevent malaria. The humanitarian radio program Jazba-e-Tameer was able to set the record straight, ending this dangerous practice.

“Giving vulnerable people the right information at the right time is a form of empowerment,” writes Jonathan Walter, Editor of the 2005 World Disasters Report published by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. “It enables people to make the decisions most appropriate for themselves and their families and can mean the difference between being a victim or a survivor.”

Local media can play a vital role in ensuring that people get the accurate and timely information they need to save lives and reduce suffering. Known and trusted by the local population, speaking in the local language, and deeply familiar with local politics and culture, local radio stations and other media can fill an important need that international relief agencies and other outside groups cannot meet on their own.

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