Case Studies

Evaluating atrocities under the watchful eye of satellite imagery GaTHR, or Geospatial Technologies for Human Rights, extends from the AAAS mission for human rights organizations worldwide. In war-ravaged and restricted areas around the world, GaTHR uses Maxar satellite imagery and remote sensing analysis to map land use patterns, population movement, destruction of structures and changes to the environment caused by the conflict. Throughout the world, escalating political upheaval and suffering deny vast populations basic human rights, and many groups have been oppressed for generations. These rights are conceivably protected by the principles of international humanitarian law, which governs the conduct of war and seeks to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure. The major obstacles to establishing necessary proof of violations include uncovering atrocities and proving their occurrences. So many conflicts take place in widespread remote areas that are guarded with armed militia who restrict access. The challenge is to reach these areas and gather information about their conditions. Before GaTHR, advocacy groups relied on eyewitness accounts, which reached the world only when a wave of refugees escaped to a camp long aer the attack. Testimony was oen dismissed as biased in legal proceedings. This was the reality in areas such as Burma, Chad and Darfur in Sudan, Zimbabwe, Israel, and Lebanon until GaTHR collected evidence from satellite imagery that changed the way the world views war strategies and military actions in these areas. The world before monitoring AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE info@maxar.com maxar.com Increased accountability Several case studies that GaTHR compiled from satellite imagery to date have captured the world's attention. For example, GaTHR helped Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) file for lawsuits on behalf of communities devastated during the Government of Zimbabwe campaign, Operation Murambatsvina (translated as Operation Restore Order or Drive Out Trash). The influence and awareness that the GaTHR Project affords the international human rights community is further emphasized by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Department of State, who confirmed the extent of ethnic cleansing in Darfur. These agencies used Maxar imagery and other classified sources to analyze conditions of widespread destruction of villages, livestock and crops as part of an ethnic cleansing campaign in Darfur. COMPANY INFORMATION The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is an international non-profit organization dedicated to advancing science and innovation throughout the world for the benefit of all people. case study AFRICA DARFUR AND ZIMBABWE

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