ADDIS ABABA, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- The African Union (AU) on Thursday announced a new initiative that envisaged to promote use of digital technology-based ideas in tackling forced displacement and other humanitarian challenges across the African continent.

The initiative, dubbed "Humanitarian Innovation Challenge," will mainly select five African digital technology-based innovations in tackling forced displacement as well as other aspects of humanitarian challenges including man-made and natural disasters in Africa that include conflicts, famine, droughts, floods, and epidemics, among others.

According to figures from the UN, more than a third of the 68 million forcibly displaced people in the world are in Africa, in which conflicts, human rights violations, natural disasters, serious public health problems, and humanitarian crises are said to be the causes of forced displacement of African people.

According to the AU, the top five African innovators, who will be selected under the new initiative, will be offered short term access to the Prototype Lab in Nairobi, capital of Kenya in November this year, where they will receive professional support to bring their ideas to the next level.

The team with the most convincing concept will receive 20,000 euros to develop their idea into an innovative digital product, service or tool.