  Due to the increase in natural disasters in the past years, Disaster Response
Organizations (DROs) are faced with the challenge of coping with more and
larger operations. Currently appointed Information and Communications
Technology (ICT) used for coordination and communication is sometimes outdated
and does not scale, while novel technologies have the potential to greatly
improve disaster response efficiency. To allow adoption of these novel
technologies, ICT system designers have to take into account the particular
needs of DROs and characteristics of International Disaster Response (IDR).
This work attempts to bring the humanitarian and ICT communities closer
together. In this work, we analyze IDR-related documents and conduct expert
interviews. Using open coding, we extract empirical insights and translate the
peculiarities of DRO coordination and operation into tangible ICT design
requirements. This information is based on interviews with active IDR staff as
well as DRO guidelines and reports. Ultimately, the goal of this paper is to
serve as a reference for future ICT research endeavors to support and increase
the efficiency of IDR operations.
