Immediately following a devastating disaster, affected areas have no access to mobile coverage or power. Information cannot reach relief coordinators, who must act blindly, based on contingencies. There is a need for a resilient information management system, efficiently providing overview of the disaster impact especially within the first critical 72 hours, where lives can be saved.

The REACHI-system will create overview of the impact of disasters 20 times faster than possible today. The solution consists of disaster-proof communication devices that send data from device to device until it reaches its destination, thereby connecting first responders and relief coordinators. The data is based on predefined questionnaires and easy to analyse and visualise. The REACHI-system is the first to combine resilient network technology with robust hardware at an accessible cost. It targets humanitarian organizations in disaster-prone countries, utilizing their existing capacity of volunteers. The REACHI-system targets individual volunteers and their communities as well as the wider humanitarian community. The REACHI-devices are designed for local volunteers, allowing them to report the urgent needs in their local community in the immediate aftermath of a disaster, even when communication networks have been ravaged. The REACHI-system further allows relief coordinators to inform the volunteers and ask them to take specific action. Knowing when/if relief is coming and how to help is an important aspect when building resilience. By having valid information on the extent of damages and needs of the affected populations, early information can improve the planning and prioritization of a disaster relief operation during its onset for a more effective response, thereby helping save lives. The REACHI-system is equally important to humanitarian action to ensure the affected communities are promoted to the centre of humanitarian action as engaged participants and not merely as recipients of aid.