Aid logistics depend on timely, accurate information: what is available, where it is needed, when it can arrive, and whether it reached the intended service point. Software can improve coordination, but it must be designed around the people and organisations doing the work.
Uganda's refugee population changes over time. The UNHCR operational data portal reported 2,050,820 refugees and asylum-seekers in total as of 30 September 2026, including 1,965,952 refugees. These figures are time-bound and should be refreshed from the official dashboard before being reused in planning or public communication.
Build a Shared Needs and Stock Registry
A proposed registry would record settlement-level needs, stock on hand, expected consumption, delivery schedules, and service interruptions. Each record should carry a reporting date, source organisation, confidence level, and responsible contact. A score may help prioritise review, but it should not be treated as an objective measure of who deserves assistance.
Track Supplies From Commitment to Receipt
Incoming shipments can be recorded with their contents, quantities, origin, expected arrival, handling requirements, and intended destination. Matching rules should account for compatibility, urgency, transport constraints, storage capacity, and existing commitments. Field directors must be able to override a recommendation and record why.
Make Field Reporting Work Offline
Where connectivity is unreliable, a progressive web app can queue encrypted records locally and synchronise when a connection returns. Conflict handling, device loss, user permissions, and audit history need to be designed before rollout. Language support should be selected with field teams and communities rather than assumed by developers.
Protect People, Not Just Data
Do not collect names, precise household locations, protection histories, or health details unless there is a clear operational and legal basis. Use role-based access, data minimisation, retention limits, encryption, and independent review. A logistics score must never determine an individual's legal status, protection eligibility, or access to essential services.
Measure the Real Outcome
A pilot should evaluate stockout duration, delivery accuracy, time to reconcile discrepancies, reporting completeness, and staff workload. Results should be independently reviewed and disaggregated carefully so that sensitive groups are not exposed.
The engineering objective is a reliable coordination loop. The humanitarian objective remains equitable assistance, informed by accountable people and the lived realities of displaced communities.