“Google And Trip Advisor Partner With International Rescue Committee To Help Refugees”, 17 May 2017

[P]rivate organisations and charities, with the help of technology…are doing more than governments and many individuals in alleviating…[the] suffering [of]… refugees crossing…Europe…from the ongoing, and seemingly never-ending, Syrian crisis. Organisations such at Techfugees, REFUNITE and the Refugees First Response Center are all doing awesome work…Another organisation that is…helping is the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and its Refugee.Info product. This provides a useful, almost vital, source of information for refugees who travel by land along the Balkan route. Refugee.Info encompasses an app, a website and a Facebook page, all designed to ensure that refugees have as much information as possible about their route and destination…It is funded by Google, Microsoft and Trip Advisor and is built by the IRC's tech unit in partnership with Mercy Corps… With a team of information specialists based in Athens, Belgrade, Paris and Berlin, refugee.info answers refugees’ questions and provides information on every available service to them.  It is deliberately designed for those with limited resources – both dollars and bandwidth. The app can be used both online and offline – essential  where WiFi access is unreliable or unavailable. Its deliberately low bandwidth means refugees can save as much phone credit as possible.