Crisis Commons' Technology Helps Relief Workers

6 Sep 2010

According to a report on the BBC, the recent floods in Pakistan have seen technology companies respond with many different solutions to help alleviate the problems.

Crisis Commons, an organisation that aims to use technology to provide remote aid to people in crises, has provided its Open Street Map technology, which enables rescue teams to know where major landmarks and buildings were even if they have been destroyed thereby helping in their search for survivors.

The Open Street Map is a global map compiled and edited by anyone who wants to participate in the project. It was also used to view a map of Port au Prince following the earthquake in Haiti in January 2010.

The Haitian crisis also provided an opportunity for a mobile technology firm called Ushahidi to provide technology for a project called Mission 4636. This technology was created following Kenya's troubled presidential election of 2007 and it provides a way for aid teams to text supporting groups and request aid (such as food, translation services or medical care) to their location.

In Haiti, the system was used to find people who could speak Creole, and provide fast translation services for aid workers.

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