Dynamic Estimates of Displacement in Disaster Regions: A Policy-driven framework triangulating data

Abstract

While traditional data systems remain fundamental to humanitarian response, they often lack the real-time responsiveness and spatial precision needed to capture increasingly complex patterns of displacement. Internal displacement reached an unprecedented 83.4 million people by the end of 2024, underscoring the urgent need for innovative, data driven approaches to monitor and understand population movements. This report examines how integrating traditional data sources with emerging digital trace data, such as mobile phone GPS and social media activity, can enhance the accuracy, responsiveness, and granularity of displacement monitoring. Drawing on lessons from recent crises, including the escalation of the war in Ukraine and the 2022 floods in Pakistan, the report presents a structured pilot effort that tests the triangulation of multiple data streams to produce more robust and reliable displacement estimates. Statistical indicators derived from digital trace data are benchmarked against the International Organisation for Migration, Displacement Tracking Matrix datasets, to assess their validity, transparency, and scalability. The findings demonstrate how triangulated data approaches can deliver real-time, high-resolution insights into population movements, improving humanitarian resource allocation and intervention planning. The report includes a scalable framework for crisis monitoring that leverages digital innovation to strengthen humanitarian data systems and support evidence-based decision-making in complex emergencies.