GSMA Mobile for HumanitarianInnovation GSMA The GSMA is a global organisation unifying the mobileecosystem to discover, develop and deliver innovationfoundational to positive business environments andsocietal change. Our vision is to unlock the full power ofconnectivity so that people, industry and society thrive.Representing mobile operators and organisations acrossthe mobile ecosystem and adjacent industries, the GSMAdelivers for its members across three broad pillars:Connectivity for Good, Industry Services and Solutions,and Outreach. This activity includes advancing policy,tackling today’s biggest societal challenges, underpinningthe technology and interoperability that make mobile work,and providing the world’s largest platform to convene themobile ecosystem at the MWC and M360 series of events. The GSMA Mobile for Humanitarian Innovation programmeworks to accelerate the delivery and impact of digitalhumanitarian assistance. This is achieved by buildinga learning and research agenda to inform the future ofdigital humanitarian response, catalysing partnershipsand innovation for new digital humanitarian services,advocating for enabling policy environments, monitoringand evaluating performance, disseminating insights andprofiling achievements. Learn more atwww.gsma.com/m4hor contact us atm4h@gsma.com We invite you to find out more atwww.gsma.com This material has been funded by UK InternationalDevelopment from the UK government and is supportedby the GSMA and its members. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the UKgovernment’s official policies. Author: Hector Matthews, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Manager, GSMA Mobile for Humanitarian Innovation Acknowledgements: The GSMA would like to thank all the partners mentioned in this report for their engagement with both the developmentand implementation of the Humanitarian Positioning Strategies as well as for their participation in the interviews andworkshops that were part of this assessment. The author would also like to thank the team at IOD PARC for undertakingthe assessment of these Humanitarian Positioning Strategies, which helped identify many key findings in this report. Recommended citation: Matthews, H. (2025) The GSMA Humanitarian Positioning Strategy. GSMA. Contents 01Introduction2The GSMA Humanitarian Partnership Framework3The GSMA Humanitarian Positioning Strategy4 02Humanitarian Positioning Strategies: Outcomes and impact5 03Developing Humanitarian Positioning Strategies16Airtel in Uganda19Econet in Burundi22Safaricom in Kenya25Telesom in Somaliland28 31 Acronyms and abbreviations ACTEDAgency for TechnicalCooperation andDevelopmentARCTAgence de Régulationet de Contrôle desTelecommunicationsCSRCorporate socialresponsibilityCVACash and voucherassistanceDRCDanish Refugee CouncilDVSLADigital village savings andloans associationsFAOFood and AgricultureOrganization of theUnited Nations M4HMobile for HumanitarianInnovationMELMonitoring, evaluationand learningMNOMobile Network OperatorOCHAUnited Nations Officefor the Coordination ofHumanitarian AffairsPSIPopulation ServicesInternationalUNCDFUnited Nations CapitalDevelopment FundUNHCRThe UN Refugee AgencyWFPWorld Food Programme(WFP)WVIWorld Vision International FRCFinnish Refugee CouncilHCoCHumanitarian Code ofConductHOTHumanitarianOpenStreetMap TeamHPSHumanitarian PositioningStrategiesIRCInternational RescueCommitteeIVRInteractive voice responseKAFOCKampala Area Federationof CommunitiesKIIsKey informant interviewsKRCSKenya Red Cross Society Introduction The GSMA Humanitarian Partnership Framework Since 2018, the GSMA Mobile for HumanitarianInnovation (M4H) programme has been supportingpartnerships between the mobile industry and thehumanitarian sector. Combining the expertise ofMNOs and humanitarian organisations throughstrategic partnerships, the M4H team has been ableto improve the coordination and effectiveness ofcollaborative response and recovery efforts. Thishas resulted in more impactful outcomes for crisis-affected communities.1 ground, such as unaligned objectives, ways ofworking and language. The framework identifies keyareas of support when creating partnerships, as wellas when and how partnerships can be supported asthey develop. This report intends to build on the GSMA’sHumanitarian Partnership Framework by exploringthe extent to which cross-sector partnerships supportby the M4H team have impacted the accuracy,effectiveness and efficiency of subsequentlydelivered humanitarian interventions. It also providesconcrete evidence that private-sector involvementin humanitarian action can have a positive impacton projects and partners as well as wider digitalhumanitarian ecosystems. In 2023, the GSMA published The GSMAHumanitarian Partnership Framework, whicharticulates the M4H programme’s approach tocatalysing and supporting cross-sector partnerships.The report highlights several challenges partnersface in identifying shared values and finding common T