Complaints and feedback mechanisms are an essential part of the humanitarian community’s ability to be held accountable for the assistance and protection we deliver. You can view our research brief below or here. Also is available an illustrated version created to guide you through.
Bangladesh and Myanmar: language needs across borders
The Rohingya are marginalized in Myanmar society, as reflected in their lack of legal status and recognition as citizens. Across the border in Bangladesh, they are also unable to participate fully in society due to their lack of legal status and recognition as refugees. In both contexts, language barriers reinforce that exclusion. In March 2019, […]
The Language Factor: Lessons for the 11th Ebola outbreak on adapting to the language needs of communities learned during the 10th Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Previous Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreaks offer lessons for public health experts responding to the 11th outbreak. This review highlights that responders need to build more trust with the communities they serve. It suggests that language is fundamental to that. The ninth, 10th and 11th outbreaks of Ebola virus disease have taken place in very […]
Complaint and feedback mechanisms: Effective communication is essential for true accountability
This report summarizes key findings and recommends actions to improve accountability in Northeast Nigeria through more effective and responsive complaint and feedback mechanisms. TWB found that humanitarian organizations are largely prioritizing verbal communication in a context of low literacy, particularly among women and older people. A reliance on spoken Hausa and written English (including for […]
Language barriers in the humanitarian response in Northeast Nigeria
The words between us: How well do enumerators understand the terminology used in humanitarian surveys?
Data collection is the foundation of humanitarian programs, informing humanitarian response plans, program design, and safeguarding measures. If the data is inaccurate, humanitarian action may be misconceived, unaccountable, inefficient, and ultimately lacking in impact for those most in need. Language plays a critical but largely overlooked part in data quality. Translators without Borders (TWB) is […]
Are they listening? The challenges and opportunities of multilingual audio communication in Borno State
People affected by the conflict in linguistically diverse Northeast Nigeria need to give and receive critical information in multiple languages. Options for doing so are currently limited, but rethinking how humanitarians use audio messaging to reach their intended audiences could change that. Research shows that audio is the most widely understood communication format among internally […]
The 2021 multi-sector needs assessments (MSNAs) should collect data on the languages of affected people
The 2021 multi-sector needs assessments (MSNAs) are a critical opportunity to strengthen the evidence base for effective and accountable humanitarian response plans. Humanitarian donors and responders need data on the languages and communication preferences of affected people as a basis for funding and programming decisions. At a minimum, asking one simple question on language can […]
Assessment: effective Ebola communication requires respect and transparency
In the second year of the current Ebola outbreak response in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), people at risk still don’t have clear answers to their questions about the disease in a language they understand. Many local health communicators are themselves confused about the disease prevention and treatment measures they promote. The language, content, […]
Missing the mark? People in Eastern DRC need information on Ebola in a language they understand
People at risk of contracting Ebola need information to keep themselves and their families safe. Information they don’t understand will not help them. They need clear communication in plain, localized language, in a format they understand, and through channels they trust. To learn how to better communicate, TWB conducted the rapid language needs assessment in […]
Navigating global guidance
The language lesson: What we’ve learned about communicating with Rohingya refugees
Rohingya refugees have a right to information and two-way communication in their own language, in a format they understand, and through channels they prefer and trust. In the past year, access to information has improved in the Rohingya refugee response as a result of an increased humanitarian focus on communicating with communities. Yet language barriers […]
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