Google Develops Application to Help Refugees

Following events such as the European Debt Crisis (the event that triggered structural weaknesses in the Greek economy and a sudden crisis in confidence among lenders) and the recent Afghanistan refugee problem, refugees are suffering due to factors not under their control.

Google has announced the development and launch of an open-source project, named the Crisis Info Hub, to help provide refugees with important information on their journey to seek asylum around the world.

Almost 680,000 refugees entered Europe by sea this year. Many refugees carry smartphones, and are dependent on them to make the journey. When used by a refugee, it provides information on lodging, transportation facilities, medical facilities, banking services, and more. The current European crisis is considered the single biggest refugee crisis since World War II.

Google recently did a fundraiser event in order to raise money for the overseas crisis, which collected $5.5 million in just two days. Already Google has helped raise $14 million towards refugee relief.

"Working with the International Rescue Committee and Mercy Corps, we've developed an open source project called Crisis Info Hub to disseminate such information in a lightweight, battery-saving way," Google said. The service, although owned by Google, is being run by its nongovernmental partners. Google is also partnering with NetHope, an NGO collective, to improve connectivity along the migration routes, adding that the funds accumulated were used to support organizations including Doctors Without Borders, Save the Children, and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

Google established Arabic as the 28th language for instant visual translation, as many refugees entering Europe speak Arabic, and are unfamiliar with the language spoken in the European countries. As of now, Google is asking everyone to contribute to the Google Translate Community, especially Arabic and German speakers, in order to improve translation.

The hub is live in the Greek island of Lesbos. More locations will be added shortly, the company said. A number of tech companies, such as Apple, Google and Facebook, have joined the global efforts to aid Europe's ongoing refugee crisis.