The changing nature of conflicts has resulted in an increased risk to humanitarian actors, reducing access for programming and monitoring, as well as the humanitarian presence in emergency settings; this withdrawal of international organizations has a harmful effect on affected populations. Remote operations provide an alternative method to continue programs and services while reducing the risk faced by program staff. Although remote operations have been in use for several years, this programming method has mostly been implemented on an ad hoc basis with limited guidance. This review aims to identify approaches, lessons learned, and best practices, which will ultimately aid the creation of formal evidence-based guidance that supports future humanitarian programming and monitoring activities in inaccessible conflict settings.
