UN tracking refugees through Google Earth | NEWS.com.au

UN tracking refugees through Google Earth | NEWS.com.au GOOGLE has teamed up with the UN to track refugee movements around the globe, the company announced today. The internet search giant will use its Google Earth program to display satellite images with additional information about refugees overlaid on the geographic detail. This project will aid humanitarian work and highlight the plight of millions who have fled their homes from violence and hardship, the office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said today. Google Earth uses images from various satellites around the world to provide detailed images of any area on earth. The program can add layers of user-made information on top of satellite imagery. For example, one user has created an animation of international flight paths crossing the on-screen globe. The UNHCR provided the data about world conflicts and refugee issues for the project. The overlaid information includes facts, news reports, photos, and videos of refugee camps. Users can download and install Google Earth, then download the UNHCR map from the official website, and zoom in on troubled areas such as Darfur, Columbia and Iraq for more information. Google has organised this project via its Google Earth Outreach program, which provides training and software for other non-profit organisations to help promote their causes via the company's mapping technology. Links Google Earth - http://earth.google.com/ UNHCR maps - http://www.unhcr.org/googleearth Google Outreach - http://earth.google.com/outreach