New localized website connects refugees in Europe to vital information
As winter approaches, choppy seas, dropping temperatures and the threat of hypothermia are putting the lives of refugees arriving in Europe at higher risk than ever before
In addition to providing the critical emergency supplies necessary to survive the changing season, the International Rescue Committee has launched a new website designed to help refugees access information and humanitarian services
LESBOS, Greece, Oct. 22, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The International Rescue Committee, in partnership with Google and Mercy Corps, has launched refugeeinfo.eu – a new hyper-local site that provides up-to-date, location specific information to refugees arriving in Europe.
The site – launched first in Lesbos, Greece – provides information about the registration process, available lodging, transportation options, humanitarian services, medical facilities and emergency contact information. It also outlines important laws that affect new arrivals, informing them of their rights and responsibilities as a refugee in Europe, and is available in multiple languages including Arabic, Pashto, Farsi and Greek. The site is already being accessed by refugees, is open-source and will remain in development as new services are added.
Designed and deployed by the IRC, with early support from Google, the scalable resource is built to be easily deployable to other countries along the route refugees take to northern Europe. Information in each case – managed and uploaded by local partners – will remain tethered to the geographic location in which the site is accessed.
"Smart deployment of technology can save lives. RefugeeInfo combines private sector thinking with the on-the-ground presence and experience of the IRC, to tackle the problem of misinformation facing refugees," said the IRC's emergency technology coordinator Rey Rodrigues. "This site is a tool that allows us to reach more people with the best information as soon as it becomes available, offered on a low-bandwidth-accessible, battery-saving platform."
Refugeeinfo.eu is currently online and in use in Lesbos, with plans to deploy the tool to the island of Kos, Greece next month.
- For more information on the IRC's response to the refugee crisis visit here: http://www.rescue.org/refugee-crisis
- To download a screen shot of Refugeeinfo.eu visit here
- To view IRC's new video on winter arriving in Lesbos visit here
- To read IRC's Medium story on the top 10 questions refugees ask when they arrive in Europe visit here
- For information about the IRC's $35 million appeal visit here
For further enquiries or to set up interviews with the IRC contact [email protected] (New York) and [email protected] (Lesbos), or call 646-761-0307.
About the IRC
The International Rescue Committee helps people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and gain control of their future. IRC teams provide health care, infrastructure, learning and economic support to people in 40 countries, with special programs designed for women and children. Every year, the IRC resettles thousands of refugees in 25 U.S. cities. Learn more at Rescue.org and follow the IRC on Twitter & Facebook.
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SOURCE International Rescue Committee
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