CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Humanitarian aid is the provision of material and logistical assistance to those in need. It is usually only temporary assistance until it is replaced with long-term assistance from the government and other institutions. The homeless, refugees, and victims of natural catastrophes, wars, and famines are among those in need. Humanitarian assistance operations cover both natural and man-made calamities and are supplied for humanitarian causes. Humanitarian aid’s fundamental goal is to save lives, alleviate suffering, and preserve human dignity.
Humanitarian help is viewed as “a moral duty and a crucial representation of the universal value of human solidarity.” Local or multinational communities can provide humanitarian relief. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is reaching out to worldwide communities.
However, the social media explosion of the previous decade has had significant effects on many parts of daily life, particularly in hastening the delivery of humanitarian goods and social support to crisis displaced people. Just as humanitarian crises became “closer to home” with the introduction of hashtags and trends on social networking sites, social media has once again reduced the distance between crisis victims and humanitarian organizations, facilitating potential assistance and immediate humanitarian response to those who are affected by crisis.
Twitter, like other social networking sites, is not immune to giving timely information in times of crisis. Twitter is the third most popular social networking platform in the globe, according to Sid Johann (2018), with over 175 million registered users.
STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
With the emergence of more humanitarian crises in recent years, the role of humanitarian institutions has grown significantly. All nations are threatened by catastrophes’ inevitability, so they seek better ways to prepare for and recover from them. Part of this entails shifting policies to include public engagement in activities that can supplement and sharpen the responses of crisis responders. Using social media to not only inform, but also to mobilize public communities toward disaster resilience is a relatively new phenomena that has many official response organizations questioning whether their old methods of reacting to disasters can survive in a digital environment. In times of crisis, information is essential for organizing humanitarian operations and assisting victims in receiving aid. For example, one Inibong Umoren went missing and was found on May 4th, 2021, because to a hashtag (#findhinyumoren) tweeted by a friend. Although she was dead, the perpetrator of the crime was apprehended. Other incidents, such as the earthquake in Haiti and political upheaval in Iran and Kenya, have demonstrated the power of social media in influencing humanitarian crises. The response to the earthquake in Haiti was swift, and information sharing and cooperation between NGOs and governments aided in the reunification of families and the distribution of food aid to the most vulnerable areas. A ban on social networking sites such as Twitter, on the other hand, could impede persons in distress from receiving timely social support and humanitarian relief.
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The major goal of this research is to look into the impact of the Twitter ban on humanitarian aid and social support. The research will focus on
Examine the extent to which victims of disasters received rapid assistance via Twitter hashtags prior to Nigeria’s Twitter ban.
Examine the extent to which social help was provided to persons in need via Twitter posts prior to Nigeria’s Twitter ban.
Examine whether Nigeria’s current Twitter ban will have an impact on NGO and other social support groups’ humanitarian efforts in the future.
To find out what kind of impact the Twitter ban will have on crisis victims.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The following research question serves as a guide for the investigation.
What percentage of disaster victims get timely assistance using Twitter hashtags prior to Nigeria’s Twitter ban?
What was the extent to which social help was provided to persons in need via Twitter posts before Nigeria’s Twitter ban?
Will the current Twitter ban in Nigeria have an impact on NGO and other social support organizations’ humanitarian efforts?
What kind of impact would the Twitter ban have on crisis victims?
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The findings and theoretical aspects of this work will be relevant to non-governmental organizations, civil societies, and philanthropic individuals, as this study depicts the nature of the Twitter ban effect on humanitarian activities and social support, as well as the significant roles played by these subjects under study. More specifically, the study will be extremely beneficial to students, researchers, and other anyone who may be interested in gathering or doing any research relevant to the topic.
SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The scope of this research is limited to the impact of the Twitter ban on humanitarian and social support efforts. As a result, the research is limited to a single non-governmental organization in Kaduna State.
LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
During the course of this investigation, the following elements have proven to be a hindrance.
Financial constraints– A lack of funds impedes the researcher’s efficiency in locating relevant materials, literature, or information, as well as in the data gathering procedure (internet, questionnaire and interview).
Time constraint– The researcher will be working on this subject while also doing other academic tasks. As a result, the amount of time spent on research will be reduced.
DEFINITION OF TERMS
Twitter is a microblogging and social networking website based in the United States that allows users to send and receive messages known as “tweets.” Unregistered users can only view tweets, while registered users can post, like, and retweet them.
Twitter Ban: This is the official halt in the functioning of Twitter, as decreed by the Federal Government of Nigeria on June 5th, 2021, until the proprietors of the social network meet the government’s newly stated requirements.
Social Support: Social support is the perception and reality of being cared for, having other people’s help, and, most importantly, being a part of a supportive social network. These resources can be emotional, informational, or companionship, and they can be physical or intangible.
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