Using Mobile Data to Target Humanitarian Aid in Haiti

Policy Context

Haiti has been in a state of transition and turmoil for several years now, since the assasination of Jovenel Moïse in 2021, and exacerbated by the earthquake which struck the country in August 2021. There has been a great need for humanitarian aid in the country, especially in Port-au-Prince, and it has been difficult at times for humanitarian workers to enter or work given changing conditions on the ground.

Study Design

Josh Blumenstock’s group, in collaboration with Travis Lybbert (UCSD), Oscar Barriga-Cabanillas (World Bank), and the World Food Programme, is working to identify poor households in Port-au-Prince remotely, using mobile phone data. As during the Novissi program in Togo in 2021, the team is fitting machine learning models which predict wealth based on an individual’s mobile phone usage and phone survey data. Eligible recipient households will receive funds directly via their mobile phone.

Results and Policy Lessons

Results are forthcoming.