13 April 2007
Satellite pictures of destroyed villages and squalid refugee camps scattered across the Sudanese province of Darfur can now be viewed on the internet after ‘Google Earth’ put the images online. Users of Google Earth, a satellite imagery service that attracts hundreds of millions of viewers, can see the war-torn region of western Sudan highlighted with yellow boundaries and labeled "Crisis in Darfur."
Blue marks scattered across the pictures indicate refugee camps, which hold about 2 million people, while red flames denote villages destroyed by gunmen. Google Earth also carries graphic photographs and witness testimony of atrocities committed since 2003 that have claimed the lives of around 300,000 people. Links are provided for users to contact their governments and urge action over Darfur. "We believe technology can be a catalyst for education and action," said Elliot Schrage, Google's head of public affairs. "Crisis in Darfur will enable Google Earth users to visualize and learn about the destruction in Darfur as never before." Human rights activists have praised the project, which is a joint venture by Google and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
