Crisis response and urban recovery

Cities are on the frontlines of multiple, overlapping crises, ranging from climate impacts and pandemics to armed conflict and displacement. As of mid 2025, a record of over 122 million people globally were forcibly displaced due to conflict, violence, persecution, and human rights violations, representing the highest number on record and nearly double the number from a decade ago. More than 73 millionof these individuals remain internally displacedwithin their own countries, placing immense strain on local services and communities.

Without integrated, inclusive, and people centred approaches, the growing scale and complexity of these crises will continue to outpace local capacities and deepen urban inequalities. Effective crisis response requires strengthened local governance, data informed decision making, and inclusive service delivery. Strong partnerships, digital innovations, and capacity development at the local level are essential to enhancing resilience, safeguarding lives and livelihoods, and enabling sustainable recovery in cities and human settlements.

UNITAC provides data-driven solutions that enable rapid access to spatial, participatory, and scenario-planning information essential for recovery planning and strengthening resilience in crisis-affected areas. By supporting local and national partners in using data and digital technologies, UNITAC helps anticipate risks, coordinate response efforts, and guide sustainable recovery. Its expertise includes data platforms, spatial mapping, digital participation, and damage-related data and models, enabling stakeholders to manage urban reconstruction, maintain service delivery, and engage communities when traditional systems are disrupted.

Access the PDF about UNITAC's work on crisis response and urban recovery.