Ukrainian War: Visualising a Humanitarian Crisis

Leveraging Data Visualization to Understand the Ukrainian War Crisis and Drive Financial Aid

In wartime, making a smart, data-driven decisions can be the difference between life and death.

The Ukrainian War has shaken the world, causing widespread devastation and a mass exodus of people.

By leveraging data visualisation, we aimed to bring the war’s impacts, from missile attacks to migration patterns, into sharp focus.

This project wasn’t just about presenting facts; it was about helping people make informed decisions and gain a deeper understanding of the crisis.

On the 2nd anniversary of the Ukrainian war, we launched this visual reminder of this terrible event in history and what devastation it has caused.

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Project Fact Sheet

Country
Netherlands
Primary Service
Data Visualisation
Project Timeline
Feb'24 - Mar'24
Technology
Microsoft Power Platform, Microsoft Azure, SQL, Python

What has been the impact of the war?

Estimates suggest that a combined total of 800,000   men have been killed, wounded or captured in the Ukraine-Russia war.

Problem Overview

After multiple years of the Ukrainian war, the global population is starting to grow weary of hearing about it.

The risk is that the plight of the Ukrainian people will be forgotten. There are 3 key challenges we wanted to address in building this dashboard:

  • Hidden Crisis: To avoid the crisis from becoming “hidden” or forgotten, we wanted to showcase new information about missile attacks & migration
  • Complex Data: The dynamic nature of war and the amount of data it produces makes it complex to understand without visualisation methods. Data visualisation is a powerful tool to illustrate the facts and bring them to life
  • Need for Awareness: There was an urgent need to raise awareness about the humanitarian crisis and its ripple effects across Europe. Ongoing monetary support helps Ukraine to defend itself and to rebuild its economy

Our Process

Requirements Definition

We had to identify reliable data sets that could be used and agree the key visualisation techniques to highlight the patterns in data

Design User Experience (UX)

Use Figma to design wireframes (UX) to mock-up the overall dashboard design and create the necessary images for the Power BI dashboard

Build Automated Workflows

We designed & built data workflow automation pipelines in Python and Power Query to automate the refresh of data for missile attacks

Develop a Power(ful) BI Dashboard

Created a Power-Bi KPI dashboard that visualizes the key metrics and impact of the war

Solution Overview

We aimed to design a view of the war that few rarely see and to simplify the story beyond the battles to the impact it has on the people of Ukraine.

Key Achievements:

  • Data Visualization to Uncover Urgent Needs: By utilizing advanced data visualization tools, we can transform complex datasets into clear, actionable insights. These visualizations illuminate the most critical areas of need in Ukraine, making the case for targeted financial support.
  • Power BI for Real-Time Insights: Through tools like Power BI, we’ve been able to aggregate and display real-time data on the impact of the conflict. This not only highlights the areas most in need of support but also tracks how contributions are being utilized, ensuring transparency and accountability.
  • Strategic Storytelling Through Data: The data collected is not just numbers; it tells the story of communities devastated by war, families displaced, and the ongoing efforts to rebuild. By presenting this data visually, we can better communicate the urgency and necessity of continued financial support.

The aim was to highlight the impact of the war on Ukraine and to remind the our audience of the continued needs of the country.

Outcome

We continue to track the performance and key performance indicators of particularly the major Missile Attacks on Ukraine. We believe these actionable insights and graphical ways of presenting data help highlight the human suffering endured by those fighting to protect Ukraine. By making data easier to understand we hope for these outcomes:

This success has encouraged them to expand beyond the initial project phases and integrating automation into various parts of their business.

Business impact:

  • Enhanced Global Awareness: The dashboard reaches a global audience, shedding light on the ongoing humanitarian crisis and encouraging action
  • Informed Public: By making complex data analysis understandable, the public could grasp the real-time impacts of the war, leading to better-informed opinions and decisions
  • Support for Ukraine: The project will continue to contribute to rallying international support for Ukraine, highlighting the need for aid and intervention

Impact of the war in Ukraine

800

Men killed, captured or injured

10

Missiles fired at Ukraine

4.5

Ukrainian Refugees