Crisis Settings Research Articles

Exploring the trade-off between liquidity, risk and return under sectoral diversification across distinct economic settings

PurposeThis paper aims to explore the trade-off between liquidity, risk and return under sectoral diversification across distinct economic settings and investment strategies.Design/methodology/approachA novel multi-objective portfolio model is proposed to assess investment decisions under sectoral diversification, where the objective functions and constraints are interval-valued. The objective functions used are risk minimization (through the semi-absolute deviation measure of risk), maximization of liquidity (using turnover as a proxy) and the maximization of logarithmic return. Besides coherence constraints (imposing that the sum of the percentages of investment assigned to each stock should be equal to 100%), constraints regarding the maximum proportion of capital that can be invested (ensuring a minimum level of diversification) and cardinality constraints (to account for transaction costs) are also imposed.FindingsBesides the trade-off between return and risk, the study findings highlight a trade-off between liquidity and return and a positive relationship between risk and liquidity. Under an economic crisis scenario, the trade-off between return and liquidity is reduced. With the economic recovery, the levels of risk increase when contrasted with the setting of the economic crisis. The highest liquidity levels are reached with the economic boom, whereas the highest returns are obtained with the economic recession.Originality/valueThis paper suggests a new modeling approach for assessing the trade-offs between liquidity, risk and return under different scenarios and investment strategies. A new interactive procedure inspired on the reference point approach is also proposed to obtain possibly efficient portfolios according to the investor's preferences. Regarding previous approaches suggested in the literature, this new procedure allows obtaining both supported and unsupported efficient solutions when cardinality constraints are included.

Under pressure: pressure-dependent pontine compression by a dolichoectasia basilar artery, a case report

Basilar artery dolichoectasia can lead to ischemic stroke through thrombosis of small perforating vessels of the brainstem. Here we report the case of a patient with transient paramedian pontine syndrome in the setting of a hypertensive crisis, finding a dolichoectasia basilar artery compressing on the ventral surface of the pons. The outcome was near-complete resolution of deficits after blood pressure control. We propose increased basilar artery pulse pressure as a novel mechanism of transient compression of the brainstem by a dolichoectasia artery.

Efficacy of CDK4/6i in the visceral crisis setting: Result from a real-world database.

1047 Background: The combination of the CDK4/6 inhibitors(CDK4/6i) and endocrine therapy has improved overall survival(OS) in patients(pts) with either endocrine sensitive or resistant disease who are not in visceral crisis. The goal of this retrospective analysis of a real world database was to look at the efficacy of CDK4/6i among pts with hormone receptor positive (HR+ve)/HER2-ve metastatic breast cancer(MBC) who present with visceral crisis at diagnosis. Methods: For this analysis, we utilized a federated network of de-identified health data representing approximately 64 million patient lives available through the TriNetX Platform. We identified 5966 pts who had HR+ve/HER2-ve MBC diagnosed between 2015 and 2020. OS was computed using the Kaplan Meier product limit method. Propensity score matching was performed on all comparisons of survival. Visceral crisis was defined as either liver metastases with liver dysfunction, lymphangitis with dyspnea or the presence of pancytopenia. Results: 906(15%) pts received CDK4/6i. OS any time after treatment among pts who did and did not receive CDK4/6i was significantly different (p=0.0002) favoring the group receiving CDK4/6i, with median OS at 59.6 months and 46.2 months and 2-year OS at 71.6% and 61.4% respectively. Among pts who received CDK4/6i versus another treatment as first line therapy, OS was significantly different(HR 0.7, 95%CI 0.57 – 0.86, p<0.0001), and median OS was 59.6 months and 41.5 months respectively. 336 pts with HR+ve mbc presented with visceral crisis at the time of diagnosis of whom 61(18%) received CDK4/6i therapy as first line therapy. Median OS among pts who did and did not have visceral crisis at diagnosis and received treatment was 8.1 months and 210 months respectively. OS any time after initial treatment was significantly different among pts with visceral crisis who did and did not receive CDK4/6i (p=0.01), with 2-year OS at 26.1% and 8.1% and median OS at 11 months and 6 months respectively Conclusions: The use of CDK4/6i in the presence of visceral crisis at diagnosis was associated with a 5 month improvement in OS compared to chemotherapy. Future clinical trials should explore the use of CDK4/6i in the setting of visceral crisis.

Successful Treatment of Myxedema Coma Using Liothyronine in the Setting of Adrenal Crisis

Background: Myxedema coma (MC) represents severe decompensated hypothyroidism and is associated with mortality rates up to 50%. It is precipitated by an acute event which disrupts compensatory mechanisms present in severe hypothyroidism. Treatment includes IV levothyroxine (LT4) with consideration of liothyronine (LT3) therapy and management of any underlying stressor. Here we present a case of MC and adrenal crisis due to pituitary dysfunction successfully treated with IV LT4 and LT3. Case: A 55-year-old female with no pertinent medical history presented with two weeks of shortness of breath, anorexia, fatigue, and unexplained falls. Her initial vital signs were notable for a blood pressure of 86/60, temperature of 36.3 °C, heart rate of 59, SpO2 of 86 on room air, and respiratory rate of 21. Exam was notable for altered mentation, respiratory distress, decreased bowel sounds, and edematous facies. Initial serum studies were notable for sodium of 133 mmol/L (135-145 mmol/L), blood glucose of 50 mg/dL (74-99 mg/dL), TSH of 2.1 mIU/L (0.45-4.50 mIU/L), and blood gas showed pH of 7.27 and PaCO2 of 84.7 mmHg. She was intubated, started on vasopressors, and IV hydrocortisone 100 mg was administered. Her pretreatment serum cortisol was unmeasurable (below 0.5 mcg/dL) and ACTH resulted at 2.0 pg/mL (7-63 pg/mL). Despite hydrocortisone 50 mg q8h, her vitals worsened with HR to 40 bpm and temperature to 34.4 °C. Given concerns for MC, free and total T4 tests were obtained and both were undetectable (below 0.4 ng/dL and 4.0 ug/dL, respectively), so 300 mcg IV LT4 was administered. The next day, the patient’s vasopressor requirement increased, so 5 mcg IV LT3 q8h was added and IV LT4 was maintained at 100 mcg/day. Total T4 and T3 were measured daily and increased into the reference range over the course of 8 days and 2 days, respectively. LT3 was discontinued after 8 days and LT4 was converted to oral regimen of 125 mcg LT4 (weight expected 115 mcg) on day 14 after extubation; her hydrocortisone was tapered to a daily total of 30 mg PO. An MRI of pituitary showed an empty sella with a thin rim of normal appearing tissue without other lesions. The patient later denied any history of post-partum hemorrhage, idiopathic intracranial hypertension, pituitary surgery, radiation, or trauma. She is currently doing well on LT4 and hydrocortisone replacement. Conclusion: This case highlights the successful use of combined LT4 and LT3 in the treatment of MC with concomitant adrenal crisis. LT3 therapy may have been particularly beneficial in this case as conversion of T4 to T3 may be limited in setting of severe illness and high-dose glucocorticoid administration. Limited observational literature suggests that LT3 use can have clinical benefit, although excessive LT3 dosing may be associated with increased mortality. Further research is required to elucidate the benefits of empiric LT3 use in MC with concurrent adrenal insufficiency.

Contributors

Contributors

佛敎의 東進이후 民間故事 중 龍의 기능 변화 양상 고찰

Before Buddhism was introduced in China, dragons were already imprinted on the public mind with multiple images of God's character and animal character, worship and fear. Dragons, which are divine beings formed from totem and have animal characteristics, stayed around people's lives. Therefore, the dragon was suitable to replace the Nāga of the Indian Buddhist scriptures and was translated into the dragon during the translation process. Based on this background, the dragon was anthropomorphized, and the domain of activity was extended. The anthropomorphized dragon penetrated into the minds of the general public through the story as Yongawng(龍王) and Yongnyeo(龍女). If they had a special relationship, they could enter the palace. When humans enter the Yonggung, wishes that were not fulfilled in reality were solved. The Yonggung was a place full of all kinds of treasures that resolved the deficiencies of the human world. It was also a fantasy world in the water where all kinds of injustice, corruption, and irrationality in the human world do not exist. The story of Yonggung and Yongnyeo influenced by Buddhism is based on the universal life of mankind. Stories performed cultural functions that influenced human’s personality by revealing various types of good and bad life. Therefore, the story basically unfolds in a space of extremely ordinary human beings' daily activities. The crisis set up here and the process of overcoming reflected the aesthetic and life views of people in crisis. Folktale are essentially characterized by variability because they reflect the real-life environment of the public. These features were also applied to The Yonggung and Yongnyeo stories. Therefore, they influenced the diversification of the story distance and the multipolarization of the story space in the Folktale. In addition, it was positioned as the center of the Folktale and performed a cultural function that exerts influence.

Gesundheitspersonal in Krisengebieten. Welche Rolle spielt die Genderperspektive? Ein Scoping Review von Rima Habib

Health workers in crisis areas – What role does the gender perspective play? A scoping review by Rima Habib The situation of medical specialists in crisis settings is not a new issue in research. Does it make a difference, though, whether the health workers are male or female? Do women practise other activities than men, or are they exposed to specific stresses? And are there (late) gender-typical health or social sequela? In a scoping review, Rima Habib shows that the gender perspective is not yet given adequate consideration in research, and why it is so important. Keywords: health workers – crisis setting – gender perspective

MSF experiences of providing multidisciplinary primary level NCD care for Syrian refugees and the host population in Jordan: an implementation study guided by the RE-AIM framework

BackgroundIn response to the rising global NCD burden, humanitarian actors have rapidly scaled-up NCD services in crisis-affected low-and-middle income countries. Using the RE-AIM implementation framework, we evaluated a multidisciplinary, primary level model of NCD care for Syrian refugees and vulnerable Jordanians delivered by MSF in Irbid, Jordan. We examined the programme’s Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption and acceptance, Implementation and Maintenance over time.MethodsThis mixed methods retrospective evaluation, undertaken in 2017, comprised secondary analysis of pre-existing cross-sectional household survey data; analysis of routine cohort data from 2014 to 2017; descriptive costing analysis of total annual, per-patient and per-consultation costs for 2015–2017 from the provider-perspective; a clinical audit; a medication adherence survey; and qualitative research involving thematic analysis of individual interviews and focus group discussions.ResultsThe programme enrolled 23% of Syrian adult refugees with NCDs in Irbid governorate. The cohort mean age was 54.7 years; 71% had multi-morbidity and 9.9% self-reported a disability. The programme was acceptable to patients, staff and stakeholders. Blood pressure and glycaemic control improved as the programme matured and by 6.6 mmHg and 1.12 mmol/l respectively within 6 months of patient enrolment. Per patient per year cost increased 23% from INT$ 1424 (2015) to 1751 (2016), and by 9% to 1904 (2017). Cost per consultation increased from INT$ 209 to 253 (2015–2017). Staff reported that clinical guidelines were usable and patients’ self-reported medication adherence was high. Individual, programmatic and organisational challenges to programme implementation and maintenance included the impact of war and the refugee experience on Syrian refugees’ ability to engage; inadequate low-cost referral options; and challenges for MSF to rapidly adapt to operating in a highly regulated and complex health system. Essential programme adaptations included refinement of health education, development of mental health and psychosocial services and addition of essential referral pathways, home visit, physiotherapy and social worker services.ConclusionRE-AIM proved a valuable tool in evaluating a complex intervention in a protracted humanitarian crisis setting. This multidisciplinary programme was largely acceptable, achieving good clinical outcomes, but for a limited number of patients and at relatively high cost. We propose that model simplification, adapted procurement practices and use of technology could improve cost effectiveness without reducing acceptability, and may facilitate replication.

Water, conflicts and migration and the role of regional diplomacy: Lake Chad, Congo Basin, and the Mbororo pastoralist

The Congo Basin is a vital water artery in Central Africa and holds more than 50 % of Africa's surface water. Despite the abundance of natural and human resources, the region faces a multitude of social, political, and governance challenges exacerbated by the climate crisis and water stress settings. These conditions severely impact native communities and pastoral populations living in vulnerable conditions with millions displaced or forced to migrate. The shrinking of Lake Chad Basin (LCB) has had multifaceted consequences both directly and indirectly, including forced displacement, violent conflicts, and political instability across the Sahel. The 'complex loop' of water-migration-conflict and climate change impacts is influencing regional governance strategies, particularly those related to cross-border agendas of water management, governance operations, and water sharing. Towards an enhanced understanding of this loop, this synthesis presents few key aspects and refreshed insights to guide the current and future regional discourse on hydrodiplomacy. The data and knowledge, observations, and analysis from the project 'Addressing Climate and Water Driven Migration and Conflict Interlinkages to Build Community Resilience in the Congo Basin' (2017–2021) provide empirical insights. The LCB and the Congo Basin serve as a case study to examine the multifaceted spill over effects of conflict and migration in a complex sociocultural context, where state and customary water-sharing norms apply in tandem. The hydrodiplomacy construct for this synthesis focuses on 'participation' and 'cooperation' and the Inter-Basin Water Transfer (IBWT) project Transaqua. The next section of the paper unpacks the loop within water stress-induced migration and conflict episodes, focusing on Mbororo pastoralists. Key findings highlight that the LCB and the Congo Basin historic water-sharing arrangements for the pastoralist community and the shift towards large-scale commerce and economics-oriented notions of water management, such as Transaqua, are handled in isolation. These aspects are clearly interconnected and should be appropriately factored in the region’s emerging hydrodiplomacy discourse. Secondly, participation of communities and stakeholders in decision making remains crucial to the balance of the complex geopolitical relations and, for understanding the effects of these crises on conflicts, migration and water diplomacy. Additionally, up-to-date data and information are significant for the future of hydrodiplomacy in the Chad-Congo equation, as water politics dynamics in the region is strained and hydrodiplomacy is in a juvenile stage. To conclude, it is suggested that regional hydrodiplomacy is explored as a win-win solution while ensuring that existing discussions are inclusive, reflective of local and cultural contexts, and community needs are appropriately integrated. The synthesis proposes that States with shared water-related challenges could view hydrodiplomacy as a tool for consensus-building and supporting long-term regional water governance plans and policies.

Setting a Course for Preventing Hepatitis E in Low and Lower-Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review of Burden and Risk Factors.

BackgroundHepatitis E virus (HEV) is responsible for outbreaks of acute jaundice in Africa and Asia, many of which occur among displaced people or in crisis settings. Although an efficacious vaccine for HEV has been developed, we lack key epidemiologic data needed to understand how best to use the vaccine for hepatitis E control in endemic countries.MethodsWe conducted a systematic review of articles published on hepatitis E in low-income and lower-middle-income countries in Africa and Asia. We searched PubMed, Scopus, and Embase databases to identify articles with data on anti-HEV immunoglobulin (Ig)G seroprevalence, outbreaks of HEV, or risk factors for HEV infection, disease, or death, and all relevant data were extracted. Using these data we describe the evidence around temporal and geographical distribution of HEV transmission and burden. We estimated pooled age-specific seroprevalence and assessed the consistency in risk factor estimates.ResultsWe extracted data from 148 studies. Studies assessing anti-HEV IgG antibodies used 18 different commercial assays. Most cases of hepatitis E during outbreaks were not confirmed. Risk factor data suggested an increased likelihood of current or recent HEV infection and disease associated with fecal-oral transmission of HEV, as well as exposures to blood and animals.ConclusionsHeterogeneity in diagnostic assays used and exposure and outcome assessment methods hinder public health efforts to quantify burden of disease and evaluate interventions over time and space. Prevention tools such as vaccines are available, but they require a unified global strategy for hepatitis E control to justify widespread use.

ResTech: innovative technologies for crisis resolution

The use of financial technologies (FinTech) by financial market participants fostered a discussion among public authorities on the use technologies for regulatory (RegTech) and supervisory (SupTech) purposes. This paper discusses the application of innovative technologies to crisis resolution (ResTech) and sets out its potential scope of application. ResTech is the application of technologies: i) to support the work of resolution authorities in developing resolution plans and in resolving financial firms; and ii) to allow financial firms to achieve regulatory compliance and better risk management in a more effective and automated manner. This paper also argues that the features and market dynamics of resolution differ from those of RegTech and SupTech: there is little market incentive for the private sector to foster innovation in the area of crisis resolution. The lack of private sector incentives to invest in R&D on how to resolve a firm’s crisis leaves the task to resolution authorities. In addition, resolution-technologies may support the identification of optimal liquidation strategy for small and medium-sized financial firms, by ensuring the maximisation of creditors’ proceeds out of the insolvency estate.

Post‐abyssal ethics in education research in settings of conflict and crisis: Stories from the field

This article draws heavily on the post‐abyssal philosophy of Boaventura de Sousa Santos in order to theorise new ways of thinking about research ethics in settings affected by armed conflict and crisis, and to put them into practice. Our article explores the dilemmas and tensions faced by four graduate students and a supervisor across diverse international settings. For some of us, these are places we call home, for others these are places that provide refuge to our people: Afghanistan, Jordan, Lebanon and India. We seek to deepen standard understandings of ethics as institutionalised in university forms, arguing that tidy checklists for safety and risk mitigation do not adequately address the complex affective and socio‐political struggles permeating research, and the bodies of researchers, in these settings. Our main focus here is on how we can synthesise our various experiences in order to offer something of value to others who may be about to go into the field in settings affected by armed conflict and crisis. The question that we address, then, is: how can researchers avoid the limitations, obfuscations and silences of traditional institutional ethics in order to adopt a situated, embodied, post‐abyssal research ethic that might open up new spaces for emotion, encounter, and engagement with struggle, risk and voicing? We use an autoethnographic approach that enables congruence with the aims of this article, and that supports our aspirations for enhanced impact through powerful narrative. We end with discussion that contains suggestions for institutions, supervisors, researchers, and for funding and professional bodies.

When does breach not lead to violation? A dual perspective of psychological contract in hotels in times of crisis

• The content of psychological contract in the crisis was identified from dual perspective. • A process model indicated the dynamics of psychological contract breaches in times of crisis. • Mutual consideration is the essential of psychological contract in crisis settings. • The crisis prompts hotels to invest on long-term psychological contract building. Implicit psychological contract (PC) represents the dynamic employee–employer relationship, and unlike explicit human resource (HR) practices, PC is an underexplored topic in the crisis management literature. By capturing the dual perspective of hotel employers and employees through interviews, this study investigates the content of PCs and breaches of PCs during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. The study identifies salient dimensions of employer obligations such as safety assurance and of employee obligations such as personal protection. While employees emphasized the transactional contracts to protect their individual interests, the employers tried to balance the transactional and relational contracts. The study proposes a dynamic PC breach model that indicates contract breaches lead to varied responses through a complex interpretation process. In general, the study suggests that ensuring mutual consideration is the best way for hotel employees and employers to pull through a crisis.

How to prevent and combat employee burnout and create healthier workplaces during crises and beyond

Burnout results from chronic work-related stress. People who are burned out are emotionally drained and feel negative and detached from work, which leads to decreased performance, inhibited creativity and innovation, workplace accidents, absenteeism, and physical and mental illnesses. Burnout is widespread, pernicious, and costly to human life, firm profits, and society—especially during a global crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic but also during a broader set of pan-global crises yet to come. Fostering healthier workplaces is a necessity at any time, but particularly during a crisis that has intensified job demands and drained job resources. Based on a review of the evidence, we provide five recommendations and implementation guidelines that can help organizations prevent and combat burnout: (1) provide stress management interventions, (2) allow employees to be active crafters of their work, (3) cultivate and encourage social support, (4) engage employees in decision-making, and (5) implement high-quality performance management. Overall, our evidence-based recommendations, together with the implementation guidelines we provide, will help business leaders promote and create sustainable wellness at work during crises and beyond.

Delivering maternal and neonatal health interventions in conflict settings: a systematic review

BackgroundWhile much progress was made throughout the Millennium Development Goals era in reducing maternal and neonatal mortality, both remain unacceptably high, especially in areas affected by humanitarian crises. While valuable...

Conceptual Metaphor in Presidential Political Speeches Delivered During Arab Spring

This paper investigates the use of conceptual metaphor as discourse pheno­menon, especially its persuasive role in political discourse. This study aims to identify conceptual metaphors that are expressed by metaphorical expressions in text corpus, to classify these metaphors by finding their source domains, to examine their conceptual structure and discourse potential. The purpose of the discussion is to describe and interpret social relations expressed by dominant metaphorical concepts that conceptualize political realm in a complex political setting and times of crisis and uprisings. Furthermore, the paper gives an insight into purposes and effects of using conceptual metaphors in this distinct political context. Text corpus consists of political speeches delivered by presi­dents of Tunis, Egypt and Libya during Arab Spring.

A case analysis of partnered research on palliative care for refugees in Jordan and Rwanda

BackgroundThis case analysis describes dilemmas and challenges of ethical partnering encountered in the process of conducting a research study that explored moral and practical dimensions of palliative care in humanitarian crisis settings. Two contexts are the focus of this case analysis: Jordan, an acute conflict-induced refugee situation, and Rwanda, a protracted conflict-induced refugee setting. The study’s main goal was to better understand ways humanitarian organizations and health care providers might best support ethically and contextually appropriate palliative care in humanitarian contexts. An unintended outcome of the research was learning lessons about ethical dimensions of transnational research partnerships, which is the focus of this case analysis.DiscussionThere exist ongoing challenges for international collaborative research in humanitarian conflict-induced settings. Research partnerships were crucial for connecting with key stakeholders associated with the full study (e.g., refugees with life limiting illness, local healthcare providers, aid organization representatives). While important relationships were established, obstacles limited our abilities to fully attain the type of mutual partnership we aimed for. Unique challenges faced during the research included: (a) building, nurturing and sustaining respectful and equitable research partnerships between collaborators in contexts of cultural difference and global inequality; (b) appropriate ethics review and challenges of responding to local decision-maker’s research needs; and (c) equity and fairness towards vulnerable populations. Research strategies were adapted and applied to respond to these challenges with a specific focus on (d) research rewards and restitution.ConclusionsThis case analysis sheds light on the importance of understanding cultural norms in all research roles, building relationships with decision makers, and developing teams that include researchers from within humanitarian crisis settings to ensure that mutually beneficial research outcomes are ethical as well as culturally and contextually relevant.

IMPACTS OF GLOBAL PANDEMIC ON TRANSLATOR’S CAREER AND TRANSLATOR TRAINING

The translation market as well as many other businesses and activities have been affected by the lockdown of economies in the whole world since the beginning of 2019. Under the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic, translator’s career has undergone some major and minor transformations. Some recent research papers have focused on crisis-related situations and emphasised the fact that translators need to be ready to ensure an effective communication between all stakeholders in disaster settings (Rodriguez Vazquez & Silvia Torres del Rey, 2020). Therefore, the methods and approaches in translation training have to be re- examined in order to provide language support in crises (Federici & O’Brien, 2019). This research was designed to examine and depict the effects of the global pandemic and the lockdown on the translator’s profession and translator training in graduate and postgraduate education. The paper analyses the insights and attitudes expressed in surveys by different players in the Lithuanian translation market, including freelance translators and interpreters, language service providers and translation students. The results highlight different opinions of reelance translators and translation students about the future of their career, trust of freelance translators towards the state support and translation agencies at which they are hired, and anxiety of language service providers towards the stability of the industry in crises situations. The results of the research further indicate the necessity to develop translation study programmes focussing on a wider skillset so that future translators would be well equipped to contribute to communication and well-being of different members of society in crisis settings. Keywords: COVID-19, pandemic, translator training, translation industry, language service providers, LSPs.

Germany’s Commitment to Women, Peace and Security

During its tenure as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council throughout 2019 and 2020, Germany promoted the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda as one of its core focus areas. In this context the years 2019 and 2020 brought both progress and setbacks to the WPS agenda. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic it is more difficult to implement the WPS agenda as gender inequalities have increased and specific challenges in conflict and crisis settings have emerged. Yet, strengthening, promoting and implementing the WPS agenda is more important than ever.

Machine Learning and Mobile Phone Data Can Improve the Targeting of Humanitarian Assistance

The COVID-19 pandemic has devastated many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), causing widespread food insecurity and a sharp decline in living standards1. In response to this crisis, governments and humanitarian organizations worldwide have mobilized targeted social assistance programs2. Targeting is a central challenge in the administration of these programs: given available data, how does one rapidly identify the individuals and families with the greatest need3? This challenge is particularly acute in the large number of LMICs that lack recent and comprehensive data on household income and wealth4–6. Here we show that non-traditional “big” data from satellites and mobile phone networks can improve the targeting of anti-poverty programs. Our approach uses traditional survey-based measures of consumption and wealth to train machine learning algorithms that recognize patterns of poverty in non-traditional data; the trained algorithms are then used to prioritize aid to the poorest regions and mobile subscribers. We evaluate this approach by studying Novissi, Togo’s flagship emergency cash transfer program, which used these algorithms to determine eligibility for a rural assistance program that disbursed millions of dollars in COVID-19 relief aid. Our analysis compares outcomes – including exclusion errors, total social welfare, and measures of fairness – under different targeting regimes. Relative to the geographic targeting options considered by the Government of Togo at the time, the machine learning approach reduces errors of exclusion by 4-21%. Relative to methods that require a comprehensive social registry (a hypothetical exercise; no such registry exists in Togo), the machine learning approach increases exclusion errors by 9-35%. These results highlight the potential for new data sources to contribute to humanitarian response efforts, particularly in crisis settings when traditional data are missing or out of date.