What is the Humanitarian Archive Emergency?
Humanitarian data, records and archives are being destroyed, deleted or lost. This is the Humanitarian Archive Emergency.
Without evidence of our work, humanitarian accountability and learning are compromised, weakening the humanitarian system and our ability to assist people in need.
As part of a coalition, we are mapping archives at risk and striving for more resilient, trusted knowledge and data infrastructure across the humanitarian sector.
Mapping humanitarian archives and supporting prioritisation
We are running a Discovery Survey (available in English, French, Spanish and Arabic) to identify where humanitarian knowledge is being stored and which archives, records and datasets may be at risk of loss or destruction.
The survey will inform a landscape report and case studies due in late 2026, as well as work on how ethical approaches can support the prioritisation of archives. A series of regional consultations will strengthen the findings with input from practitioners and organisations closest to where humanitarian records are created.
A coalition approach
Addressing the Humanitarian Archive Emergency requires a broad coalition of expertise, bringing together humanitarians, researchers and specialists in archive management and digital preservation.
Convened by the University of Manchester’s Humanitarian and Conflict Response Institute (HCRI), the Humanitarian Archive Emergency coalition provides strategic direction and connects the project with relevant expertise and networks across regions.
The work is funded by Leverhulme Trust and Wellcome Trust.
Building the evidence
A key first step to address the Humanitarian Archive Emergency is to identify what knowledge exists, and what’s at risk. This public registry allows us to collectively assess scope and scale of humanitarian archives, records, and datasets.
As the registry continues to grow, the evidence gathered will be used by the HAE coalition to assess the scale, nature and distribution of needs created by this emergency. This assessment will support efforts to mobilise and direct resources towards building more resilient humanitarian archives, strengthening the knowledge base that underpins effective humanitarian action.
