Everybody's crisis? Critiques and limitations of humanitarian mapping during COVID-19

This article explores the complexities of data visualization during the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on humanitarian mapping. It investigates the challenges of creating and using online maps, drawing from qualitative insights from interviews with 15 activists. The study centres on Frena la Curva, an Ibero-American initiative that developed online maps to detail needs and assistance during the Coronavirus crisis. Key findings highlight Spain's critical role in shaping mapping process, the accessibility challenges that impacted the effectiveness of the maps, and the difficulties in accurately representing unstable realities. The article also emphasizes how using internet technology as vernacular tools and the tendency to generalize social issues can reduce the effectiveness of humanitarian maps efforts. By thoroughly examining these constraints, the research contributes to a deeper understanding of the role of mapping in promoting social change during crises.