Information as humanitarian aid: Delivering digital services to empower disaster-affected communities

For a plethora of decisions we make on a daily basis, we can rely on timely, tailored information delivered via digital services. The technologies and the knowledge needed for the design, development and delivery of digital services have become increasingly accessible. These developments have also made their way to the crisis response domain and resulted in a variety of digital services to deliver information, supporting emergency responders in their decision-making processes. At the same time, affected communities by disasters are also in need of information during such critical events. Timely, relevant information helps affected citizens to understand the situation, make informed decisions, and gain access to life-saving aid. However, designing, creating, and delivering digital services to deliver vital information to communities warrant specific considerations. This chapter per the authors explores the concept of digital services in regard to empowering communities affected by critical events.