Google Earth Maps Connect Americans With Darfur Crisis

WASHINGTON - Last week, in partnership with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM), Google Earth released updated maps that show the destruction to the Darfur region of Sudan was far greater than previously documented. By joining forces with the Humanitarian Information Unit at the U.S. State Department, Google Maps now show viewers more than 3,300 villages in Darfur that were ravaged during the genocide.

The new maps provide a comprehensive picture of how the conflict unfolded, and offer clarification as to the extent of the devastation. For example, the new data shows that there were twice as many villages destroyed than previously gauged by a 2007 U.S. government assessment. The updated maps also provide a before-and-after glimpse of the villages to further illuminate the devastation.

Jerry Fowler, the president of the Save Darfur Coalition said, “The U.S. Holocaust Museum and Google Earth have allowed us to build real-time evidence against the perpetrators of the genocide in Darfur. Thanks to their efforts, we have a tool that can educate people about the suffering in Darfur, and at the same time compile data for lasting accountability.”

To view the maps and install Google Earth, please visit http://www.ushmm.org/maps/.

The Save Darfur Coalition looks forward to upcoming initiatives from USHMM and Google Earth, such as updated data, including a narrated fly over tour, and an annual examination of the villages that have been destroyed.

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About the coalition: The Save Darfur Coalition - an alliance of more than 180 faith-based, advocacy and human rights organizations - raises public awareness about the ongoing genocide in Darfur and mobilizes a unified response to the atrocities that threaten the lives of people throughout the Darfur region. The coalition's member organizations represent 130 million people of all ages, races, religions and political affiliations united together to help the people of Darfur. For more information on the coalition, please visit www.SaveDarfur.org.

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