One Of The Things That 65 Million Refugees Want Most: The Internet

Important read from FastCoExist on the need to increase internet access for refugees.

For refugees stranded miles from home, a mobile phone and internet connection can be a lifeline—a means to connect with family and friends, to access health and education services, and even to maintain a job and career. And yet, many of the world’s refugees are currently disconnected, a new report shows. Compared to the global population as a whole, refugees are 50% less likely to have an internet phone and more than twice as likely to have no phone at all.

The numbers are based on survey responses, focus groups and interviews at camps run by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. The report, produced by consultants Accenture, looks at ways to boost refugee connectivity, chiefly through partnerships between government, international agencies, NGOs, and business groups.

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