Data Sources for Aid Work

Choose a primary data source for one planning question, record definitions and coverage, and document the checks needed before using a figure.

Editorial Status: draft
Page Type: Link List
Linked Entries: 10
Source Review: 2026-10-26
Corrections: by email

Editorial status: draft. Availability to read this page does not change its editorial status or establish external validation. The review scope and unverified items are stated on this page. A review date does not establish clinical, legal, security or field suitability. Check the publisher's current material and the requirements for your task.

Start With the Question

Write the decision or planning question before choosing a portal. Examples include: "Which districts need a closer food-security review?" or "What population denominator could support a first service-coverage estimate?"

Then:

Choose a source whose stated subject and geography match the question.
Open the exact dataset, indicator, table or situation page, not only the portal home page.
Record the definition, unit, geography, period, release or update date, source method and known gaps.
Check the current access and reuse terms on the exact item. A portal name or the word "open" does not establish a license for every dataset.
Compare a consequential figure with a second suitable source or with responsible local staff before using it in a decision.

The descriptions below summarize primary publisher pages read on 2026-10-26. They identify places to investigate. They do not rate dataset quality, guarantee current coverage or grant reuse rights.

Sources to Compare

Publisher source	Useful starting point	What the current page showed	Check before you use a figure
UNHCR situation pages	Displacement situations and related country pages	Situation views for specific emergencies, with links to country operation pages	Read the situation's date, population definitions, coverage and map disclaimer
FEWS NET	Acute food-insecurity analysis and related data	Country and regional analysis, a data explorer, classifications, markets, agroclimatology and livelihood-zone material	Distinguish analysis from raw data and read the method and projection period for the selected product
International Aid Transparency Initiative	Published development and humanitarian activity data	A standard plus several access tools, including browser search, a datastore and country finance summaries	Check reporting completeness, publisher update dates and what each field means before aggregating activities or money
World Bank Open Data	Cross-country development indicators and links to surveys and datasets	World Development Indicators, country profiles and links to DataBank, the Microdata Library and the Data Catalog	Record the exact indicator definition, source agency, coverage, revision notes and current terms
WHO Global Health Observatory	Health indicators and country views	Indicator and country entry points, topic groupings and an OData API	Check the selected indicator's definition and source; the landing page does not establish clinical meaning or fitness for a local decision
UNICEF Data	Data about children and women	Datasets, publications, guidance and topic pages, including WASH, nutrition, immunization and child protection	Check whether the figure is measured, modeled or estimated, and read the exact dataset's terms and date
UIS Data Browser	Education, science, culture and demographic indicators	Filters, metadata, visualizations and downloads in several formats	Review the indicator metadata, disaggregation, missing values and release date before comparing places or years
OpenStreetMap	Community-maintained map data	Map data contributed and maintained by a mapping community, with a separate copyright and license page	Follow the attribution guidance, check local completeness and verify operational details with current local information
WorldPop	Spatial population and demographic datasets	Global, regional and country datasets, methods, applications and an API	Choose the correct population concept and year, read the model documentation and assess risk before combining fine-grained data
Copernicus Emergency Management Service	Hazard and emergency mapping	On-demand mapping and separate wildfire, flood, drought and exposure services	Check the selected service's geographic scope, date, product status and terms; a map does not confirm conditions on the ground

Population and Map Context: Use These References

These three references serve one narrow task: finding population context and mapped-place background for a short operational brief. They answer different questions, not three interchangeable measurements of the same quantity. No country, local institution, legal jurisdiction or dataset has been selected. The publisher metadata/method pages below were read in English on October 27, 2026. That is a reference check, not full dataset appraisal or a fresh review of every row above.

World Bank: Broad Population Context

Use the full metadata for Population, total, SP.POP.TOTL, especially Definition, Source, Periodicity, Reference period and Limitations.

Annotation	Use and Limit
Purpose and exact place in the brief	A broad population-context sentence for a selected economy/year; not a district operational head count. Record the underlying agency as well as the access publisher
Concept and method	Annual midyear population estimates; metadata describes census and demographic-estimation inputs and comparability limits
Edition versus reference date	The metadata reference span is 1960-2025; the WDI database header says updated October 8, 2026. Neither supplies the observation or release date of an unselected economy/year
Access and reuse checked	English metadata text was public without login. Its item license field identifies CC BY-4.0; this is not permission for every dataset in the portal. No value, download or translation was tested
Unknown and next action	The brief's preparer must select an exact economy/year and confirm definition, original source, release, local relevance and item terms before using a number
Recheck trigger	Revised item/source/definition, conflicting local information or consequential reuse; record the owner and actual check date in the source note

WorldPop: Choose a Population Estimate

Read Choosing the Right WorldPop Population Data alongside the gridded-population methods overview, including its top-down/bottom-up discussion.

Annotation	Use and Limit
Purpose and exact place in the brief	Identify a candidate small-area denominator and method in the source-fit note before quoting an estimate
Choice the references support	Recent country-specific estimates and consistent multi-year/global series serve different needs. Model output does not replace a full census or establish current presence
Edition versus reference date	No guide publication/update date was visible. The mentioned 2015-2030 series span is not a guide edition, all-observed years or the version/reference year of a selected dataset
Access and reuse checked	Full English guidance was public without login. No country raster, uncertainty layer, dataset license, download or translated guidance was inspected
Unknown and next action	The preparer selects the exact product/version, population concept, boundary/year match and permitted reuse, then checks local movement and uncertainty with the relevant local role
Recheck trigger	Changed inputs/model/version, boundaries, displacement information or consequential reuse; retain the old reference and explain any substitution

OpenStreetMap: Mapped Features and Reuse Questions

Use the existing About page for the community-maintained map context and Copyright and License for the publisher's attribution and licensing explanation.

Annotation	Use and Limit
Purpose and exact place in the brief	Mapped-place/feature background and a source/attribution note; not evidence of a passable route, operating service or complete local coverage
Edition versus observation date	These living pages show no publication/update date. No area/extract/snapshot was selected; a copyright year is not a feature observation date
Access and reuse checked	English pages were public without login. Data reuse, output-specific attribution and hosted-service policies need separate checks. Full legal code and every service policy were not appraised
Unknown and next action	The preparer records the exact area/snapshot/output and confirms current local meaning plus applicable reuse/service requirements with the responsible roles
Recheck trigger	A changed feature/snapshot, conflicting local report, planned output/reuse change or changed licensing/service policy; do not equate fresh page access with current field conditions

Use the existing-data source log to record the actual item and decision. English retrieval does not establish translation quality, multilingual access or local legal applicability. The source user owns the item check; the OpenAid site editor rechecks these annotations on a publisher/method change or by April 27, 2027 if still in use. No automatic feed or ongoing review service is promised. If an item check is missing, leave that use unresolved rather than supplying a local number from the portal name.

Record the Source Before Copying a Number

Field	What to record
Planning question	The decision or comparison the data may inform
Exact item	Dataset, indicator, table or situation page title and URL
Publisher	Organization responsible for the item, plus any original source named in its metadata
Definition and unit	What is counted, modeled or estimated and in what unit
Place and period	Geographic coverage, boundary version, reference period and release or update date
Method	Survey, administrative record, model, community mapping or another stated method
Gaps	Missing places, groups, periods, uncertainty or known limitations
Access and reuse	Current terms for the exact item, including attribution or account requirements
Cross-check	Second source or responsible local person used to test the figure's meaning
Decision limit	What the data cannot decide on its own
Recheck trigger	A revised release, changed boundary, conflicting local report or decision using the figure

Fictional Example

Situation: The fictional Riverbend Relief Network is considering where to discuss temporary water-service support after flooding. A planner needs a first population denominator for three districts, not a final allocation decision.

Source note:

Planning question: which district estimates need closer validation before the team plans field visits?
Exact item: a selected WorldPop population raster for the country and reference year, with its item URL recorded.
Definition and unit: estimated population distribution, as described in that dataset's documentation.
Place and period: three district boundaries matched to the dataset's stated reference year.
Method and gaps: modeled spatial data; the planner records uncertainty, displacement since the reference date and any boundary mismatch.
Access and reuse: the planner checks the exact dataset page rather than assuming the homepage description is the license.
Cross-check: compare totals with a suitable official source and ask local program staff about recent movement and inaccessible areas.
Decision limit: the estimate helps prioritize questions. It does not identify actual water-system damage, current presence or household vulnerability.
Recheck trigger: new displacement information, revised boundaries, a newer data release or a proposed allocation.

This note makes the source traceable and exposes the judgment still required. It does not turn a modeled estimate into a field count.

Limits and Safer Use

OpenAid has not assessed the accuracy, completeness or bias of the listed datasets.
A public page is not proof that every linked dataset is open for every reuse. Read the exact item's current terms.
Definitions, boundaries and update schedules differ across sources. Do not combine figures until those differences are understood.
Public data can still create privacy, protection or security risks when combined or mapped at fine resolution. Use the responsible roles and procedures that apply to your organization and context.
Health indicators do not provide clinical guidance. Hazard and conflict-related maps do not replace local operational checks.
National and local statistical offices, authorities and service providers may hold more appropriate data and should not be displaced by a global portal.

For adjacent discovery, see AI tools, the Standards and Principles Index, and finding existing data before collecting new data. Related pages have their own review dates and scope.