Chapter 8 Chapter 8 Demographic and Location Data Improved data underpin progress in planning and response Data disaggregated by sex, age and geographic location are essential to guide effective and efficient policy responses and programmatic interventions that address the needs of vulnerable groups and help ensure that “no one is left behind” as laid out in the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. Given the critical need for disaggregated data, UNHCR has been making strong efforts to improve the quality and availability of detailed disaggregated primary data on displaced people. UNHCR and its partners look for new and innovative ways to gather this information as quickly as possible, and the organization has intensified its efforts to systematically disaggregate data by location and demographic characteristics. For example, UNHCR is working with IOM and unhcr > Global trends 2018 UNICEF to build national statistical capabilities to measure “children on the move”, including those who have been forcibly displaced. 90 Collecting disaggregated data can be challenging in emergency situations, as resources for data collection compete with other acute needs such as the immediate delivery of aid and protection. As emergency situations stabilize, data availability tends to improve, although UNHCR faces barriers to obtaining disaggregated data in many high-income countries with well-resourced statistical systems. Despite UNHCR’s efforts to improve data availability, it has continued to be difficult to obtain 90 See: data.unicef.org/resources/call-action-protecting-childrenmove-starts-better-data/ 59