Languages of Cameroon: Interactive (EN)
Interactive map showing the number of speakers and geographic spread of different languages in Cameroon.
Bangladesh and Myanmar: language needs across borders
The Rohingya are marginalized in Myanmar society, as reflected in their lack of legal status and recognition as citizens. Across the border in Bangladesh, they are also unable to participate fully in society due to their lack of legal status and recognition as refugees. In both contexts, language barriers reinforce that exclusion. In March 2019, […]
Ebola: a crisis of language
NGO key messages for the 10th High Commissioner’s Dialogue on Protection Challenges
The Language Factor: Lessons for the 11th Ebola outbreak on adapting to the language needs of communities learned during the 10th Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Previous Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreaks offer lessons for public health experts responding to the 11th outbreak. This review highlights that responders need to build more trust with the communities they serve. It suggests that language is fundamental to that. The ninth, 10th and 11th outbreaks of Ebola virus disease have taken place in very […]
The challenges of translation into Congolese Swahili
Gamayun: The Language Equality Initiative
Complaint and feedback mechanisms: Effective communication is essential for true accountability
This report summarizes key findings and recommends actions to improve accountability in Northeast Nigeria through more effective and responsive complaint and feedback mechanisms. TWB found that humanitarian organizations are largely prioritizing verbal communication in a context of low literacy, particularly among women and older people. A reliance on spoken Hausa and written English (including for […]
Language barriers in the humanitarian response in Northeast Nigeria
The words between us: How well do enumerators understand the terminology used in humanitarian surveys?
Data collection is the foundation of humanitarian programs, informing humanitarian response plans, program design, and safeguarding measures. If the data is inaccurate, humanitarian action may be misconceived, unaccountable, inefficient, and ultimately lacking in impact for those most in need. Language plays a critical but largely overlooked part in data quality. Translators without Borders (TWB) is […]