When natural disaster strikes, it’s hard to fathom all of the necessary elements of an effective response. There are the immediately pressing concerns of clean water, food and shelter, but increasingly mobile communications and technology play a major role. And that’s where Ericsson steps in.

In this video Ericsson looks at how valuable information technologies can be in times of crisis. Humanitarian volunteers on the ground need a way to communicate with one another, and civilians affected by the devastation need to connect with loved ones, or indicate what kind of help they need.

“It’s no longer one of those ‘nice to have’, it’s absolutely essential,” Mariko Hall, a communications officer for Ericsson says.

Over the past 15 years Ericsson has responded to over 40 disasters in 30 different countries, providing tens of thousands of humanitarian workers with connectivity and IT equipment so they can be better at their jobs and, most importantly, save more lives.


Every decade over 1 million people are killed in disasters, and millions more are left homeless. Natural disasters can devastate entire regions, often further entrenching communities in extreme poverty as they see their resources vanish. An efficient response is their first line of defense.  

Editorial

Defeat Poverty

Mobile communications are crucial when responding to disasters

By Nicki Fleischner