Executive Director & CEO Humanitarian Tracker
While working with the United Nations in the Middle East and Africa, Hend was inspired by ordinary people doing extraordinary things. In 2011, she founded Humanitarian Tracker, an award winning, United Nations–recognized nonprofit that applies crowdsourcing and artificial intelligence for social good. Its flagship project, Syria Tracker, gathered verified data on human rights violations, disease outbreaks, and relief needs.
As an example, this data helped save 150 people—primarily women and children—from Aleppo, Syria.
Humanitarian Tracker’s data, including that from Syria Tracker, has been used by USAID (United States Agency for International Development), the U.S. Department of State, the United Nations, and major news outlets, elevating otherwise marginalized voices from the ground. In 2016, Humanitarian Tracker was recognized at the Solutions Summit at UN Headquarters for its work on Sustainable Development Goals. In 2022, it received ECOSOC status, formalizing its role as a UN partner. Hend is an advocat