Sudanese children attend lessons at a school in Abu Shouk refugee camp

T

UN uses Google to pinpoint refugee crises

The United Nations is using the mapping programme Google Earth to highlight the plight of millions of refugees and its humanitarian work to help them

The outreach programme, a joint initiative between the internet giant and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), weaves together satellite maps, photos, videos and eyewitness accounts to give viewers a close-up look at the refugee crises in Iraq, Chad, Columbia and Darfur in Sudan

It allows users to find out about UNHCR operations, locate refugee camps and discover the impact of the humanitarian crises on neighboring countries such as Sudan, Syria and Ecuador

Users can explore the lives of those in exile by clicking on exact locations in the refugee camps to see photos of the facilities, such as health clinics, schools, water taps and sanitation

"Google Earth is a very powerful way for UNHCR to show the vital work that it is doing