When Hurricane Helene hit early in the morning, six states lost power, fiber lines, and communication. Many communities in western North Carolina were unreachable.
In this episode, Dana Yaari speaks with Patrick Riley, an Emergency Management Specialist for the North Carolina Department of Public Safety. Patrick recounts how traditional radio networks failed and why the lack of communication was the most significant threat in the first 72 hours.
Patrick tells the story of turning to Starlink terminals, private helicopters, and donation radios to reestablish connection with impacted communities, and how these efforts and partnerships filled urgent gaps. He also emphasizes what’s often overlooked in emergencies, listening to what frontline responders actually need and preparing before anything happens.
You’ll learn:
Things to listen for:
(00:00) Welcome to Digital Humanitarian with Patrick Riley
(01:29) What responders saw the moment Helene hit
(03:28) How entire towns lost communication overnight
(04:57) Why backup systems failed during the storm
(06:43) Starlink terminals dropped by helicopter into cut-off areas
(08:56) Coordinating disaster response without reliable comms
(10:10) The double-edged role of social media
(11:46) How the state managed conflicting information
(14:48) Why responders aren’t given what they need
(20:56) The tech tools reshaping search and rescue
(23:30) Patrick’s advice: ask frontline responders what they need
Resources:
In late 2024, rising waters threatened communities in Kogi State, Nigeria, where floods have long devastated lives and livelihoods. However, this time, people were ready.
In this episode, Dana Yaari talks with Federico Barreras, Humanitarian Programme Manager at GiveDirectly, the organization that delivered no-strings-attached cash to over 4,000 people ahead of the flood. Federico shares that they used Google’s Flood Hub to forecast the impact weeks in advance and what changed when communities were able to prepare before the crisis.
Federico explains how they remotely registered via basic phones, and why AI-backed only further prepared them with an edge over traditional models.
You’ll learn:
Things to listen for:
(00:00) Welcome to Digital Humanitarian with Federico Barreras
(01:34) Anticipatory action & preparing communities before disasters
(02:42) How GiveDirectly used Google Flood Hub
(04:33) Pre-registration in enabling rapid cash transfers
(07:27) Why Flood Hub’s granularity matters compared to other tools
(10:27) Barriers to adoption and why organizations still don’t use predictive tech
(13:45) How 4,000 people used early cash to protect lives and assets
(19:14) Shifting the mindset from reaction to anticipation
(25:26) GiveDirectly’s pilot in Kenya against drought
(29:34) The future of anticipatory cash aid and government-level integration
Resources:
When historic floods overwhelmed Rio in 2024, civil society mobilized quickly, but tech coordination lagged, and someone needed to step in.
In this episode, Dana Yaari speaks with Dr. Caroline Vanzellotti and Dr. Olimar Teixeira Borges of Bonanza, a Brazil-based NGO that helped lead the local response. They recount the early days in Porto Alegre, when the streets were submerged for weeks.
Dr. Caroline explains how their team used WhatsApp, Airtable, and monday.com to organize supply flows and reconnect entire communities. While Dr. Olimar walks through the tools they tested, the ones that failed, and the ones that scaled across future disasters.
You’ll learn:
Things to listen for:
(00:00) Welcome to Digital Humanitarian, Dr. Caroline Vanzellotti and Dr. Olimar Teixeira Borges
(01:25) Millions displaced and no data coordination in place
(03:21) Spontaneous shelters with no central tracking system
(04:39) Matching aid to actual needs in real time
(06:30) Why WhatsApp failed during early response
(08:27) Building dashboards from scratch with volunteer tech
(09:45) Shifting from shelters to community recovery
(11:32) Collecting household-level data post-flood
(14:13) Why disaster tech must be pre-positioned
(18:06) Scaling tools for multilingual, low-bandwidth regions
Resources:
During the 2023 Maui wildfires, technology became the lifeline for restoring communication and helping communities survive.
In this episode, Dana Yaari talks with Dr. Jarone Lee and Mary Showstark from Health Tech Without Borders about their time supporting relief efforts in Lahaina, Maui. They discuss the critical hours passed during the fires, when communication lines were down and survivors were cut off from aid.
Mary shares what she saw on the ground, from blocked roads to the first moments Starlink brought communities back online. And Jarone discusses how their team managed to deliver tech tools amidst chaos and why connectivity has become a critical part of humanitarian aid. You’ll hear what worked, what stalled, and the lessons they’re carrying into future disaster zones.
You’ll learn:
Things to listen for:
(00:00) Welcome to Digital Humanitarian, Jarone Lee & Mary Showstark
(01:36) Returning to Lahaina and urgent access needs
(03:34) Locals stepping in when help was scarce
(07:47) Barriers to aid in a declared disaster zone
(08:35) Starlink’s arrival and restoring communication lines
(10:07) Missed alerts and the role of warning tech
(12:41) Inside Health Tech Without Borders’ global work
(16:45) Setting up safe, trusted spaces for telehealth
(18:50) Peer-to-peer mental health for first responders
(21:45) Scaling telemedicine in conflict zones and disasters
(27:02) Training lifesaving skills through chatbots in crises
Resources:
Three million people were affected, roads were underwater, and a digital command center was put to the test.
In this episode, Dana Yaari speaks with Miguel Garcia, Operations Center Supervisor at the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF), about the 2023 Typhoon Falcon response. As floodwaters rose, Miguel’s team faced a surge of requests, scattered communications, and overlapping aid efforts while running operations with just a handful of responders.
Miguel walks through the critical decisions made in real time, what broke under pressure, and how adopting simple digital tools changed the outcome. From streamlining resource requests to tracking duplication, he explains how going digital helped cut response time and organize chaos on the ground.
You’ll learn:
Things to listen for:
(00:00) Welcome to Digital Humanitarian, Miguel Garcia
(01:10) Typhoon Falcon, monsoon rains & flooding
(03:27) Untracked requests slow disaster response
(04:40) Running an EOC with five people
(06:29) Inside PDRF’s command center
(08:20) How requests are matched to aid
(10:42) Tracking duplication in real time
(11:45) Going digital with incident plans
(13:59) Saving 40% of response time
(14:56) Smarter decisions through dashboards & data
(17:04) Why tech solutions still aren’t the norm
(23:49) Act now before crisis strikes
Resources:
The calm after the storm starts with a signal.
Dana Yaari sits down with Armando Samayoa, Regional Director at Télécoms Sans Frontières (TSF), to explore what it truly takes to reconnect a community in the aftermath of a disaster.
From the moment Hurricane Dorian struck the Bahamas in 2019, TSF mobilized lightweight satellite gear, hopped helicopters, and raced to restore communication on the ground in Abaco, where teams were stranded without a lifeline back to headquarters.
Armando shares what goes into those critical first 15 minutes of connectivity, how TSF equips local responders to sustain these systems long after the initial emergency, and why digital access has become as essential as food or water in disaster zones. You'll gain a closer look at how humanitarian technology has evolved, and why preparedness is no longer optional when lives are at stake.
You’ll learn:
Things to listen for:
(00:00) Welcome to Digital Humanitarian, Armando Samayoa
(00:29) Why communication is the first thing lost
(01:11) Inside TSF’s response to Hurricane Dorian
(02:31) Getting to Nassau and gathering intelligence
(03:55) No signal from responders already in Abaco
(05:24) How TSF became crisis response tech experts
(08:49) The 25-kilo suitcase that changes everything
(10:03) Setting up connectivity in just 15 minutes
(13:19) Finding help when formal systems fall short
(18:04) The future of connectivity in disaster response
(25:23) What it feels like to bring relief during emergency response
Resources:
Capturing land rights before disaster strikes…with just a conversation.
In this episode, Dana Yaari speaks with Ibere Lopes from IOM and Raphael Schoenball from UNDP about their pilot project, LandLedger. Set in a small fishing village in the Philippines, this project used storytelling, AI, and human-centered design to document informal land rights before the next typhoon could force evacuations.
Ibere and Raphael walk through how they earned community trust, built tech around real human stories, and created actionable data that local disaster teams can now use. You’ll hear how their work is setting a new standard for humanitarian data collection—and what it means for vulnerable populations worldwide.
You’ll learn:
Things to listen for:
(00:00) Welcome to Digital Humanitarian, Ibere Lopes & Raphael Schoenball
(01:37) Launching LandLedger in the Philippines
(03:50) Why stories matter more than forms
(05:02) Building trust before data collection
(06:15) Designing tech with the community
(08:06) How LandLedger actually works
(11:41) Field data vs. official records
(13:14) Helping disaster teams go granular
(15:35) Testing an AI voice enumerator
(18:25) Adapting the LandLedger methodology for other use cases
(21:11) Scaling LandLedger to conflict areas
Resources:
Over 10,000 families. One disaster. And the tech-driven response that changed everything.
In this episode, Dana Yaari talks to Christoph Gorder from Airbnb.org and Maribel Marin from 211 LA to discuss their partnership during the 2025 LA wildfires. Together, they navigated chaos, coordinated across teams, and faced overwhelming demand, all while under immense pressure.
Christoph and Maribel share the challenges they encountered, how they stayed organized during the crisis, and why trust was essential to their response. You’ll hear how their collaboration helped deliver housing to evacuees and scale operations to shelter more than 10,000 families.
You’ll learn:
Things to listen for:
(00:00) Welcome to Digital Humanitarian, Christoph Gorder & Maribel Marin
(01:31) How the LA wildfires happened
(04:00) Quick coordination in disaster relief
(06:07) Airbnb.org’s role in the LA fires
(08:24) Giving evacuees housing choices
(10:01) Housing challenges with pets and families
(12:57) Identifying victims who are most vulnerable
(16:00) Collaboration between Airbnb.org and 211 LA
(18:49) Logistical hurdles of matching housing needs
(21:09) Trust and transparency in partnerships
(23:29) Keeping up with the demand surge
(25:59) Data collection for long-term support
(28:29) Looking ahead: Housing solutions beyond LA
Resources:
What happens when the humanitarian system built to help… doesn’t?
In this episode of Digital Humanitarian, host Dana Yaari talks with Abril Páez, Director at Proyecto Concentrarte, who shares her experience responding to the 2021 Haiti earthquake.
It’s a story about what happens when traditional disaster response systems fall short—and how, in the face of chaos, a simple tech solution sparked a more human-centered approach.
Abril explains how bureaucracy and outdated models often slow aid efforts, but also how basic digital tools, such as WhatsApp and spreadsheets, helped local responders cut through the noise, coordinate effectively, and reclaim their agency.
This episode explores how even the simplest technologies can create resilience, restore trust, and shift control back to the communities most affected.
What you’ll learn:
Things to listen for:
(00:00) Welcome to Digital Humanitarian, Abril Páez
(02:54) What broken coordination looks like in crisis
(05:09) When bureaucracy gets in the way of helping others
(06:25) How WhatsApp and spreadsheets saved the day
(08:56) Why local responders must lead emergency efforts
(11:25) How one mission reshaped Abril’s view of aid work
(14:26) Giving communities tools to report what they need
(16:25) Real-time data helps turn chaos into action
(18:59) Shifting power to those closest to the crisis
(23:05) Recovery starts when locals call the shots
(28:29): Closing remarks
Resources:
Disaster response is at a turning point. Traditional humanitarian tools - paper logs, slow coordination, limited scalability - can’t keep up with the growing scale and pace of global crises.
And as political instability reduces available resources, it's more critical than ever to adopt bold, technology-driven solutions.
Digital Humanitarian takes you to the front lines of disaster relief, where innovation isn't optional - it's saving time, resources, and lives.
