BREAKING: Ushahidi Launches Free Short Code 4636 To Collect Info in Haiti

by Nathaniel Whittemore · 2010-01-16 17:10:00 UTC
Topics:

Breaking News: Ushahidi, in cooperation with the Department of State and others has just announced a new short code that anyone in Haiti can use to report disaster information free of charge.

Key Information:

Ushahidi is collecting information about missing persons, emergencies and anything else relevant for both victims and responders to the quake and aggregating it on http://haiti.ushahidi.com

From a breaking announcement issued by the Ushahidi team:

DigiCell subscribers in Haiti can text 4636 with location and description of emergencies and missing persons. Ushahidi's Haiti platform is live at: http://haiti.ushahidi.com.

Please note that the SMS shortcode is dependent on local telecom infrastructure -- if the infrastructure fails, the local SMS service will not work. However, there are several ways that incidents may be reported:

By sending a local text message to 4636 or internationally at +447624802524

By sending e-mail to Haiti@ushahidi.com

On Twitter with hash tag #haiti or #haitiquake

Online at http://haiti.ushahidi.com/reports/submit

What you can do:

Spread this message as widely as possible.

1. Retweet: "If you are in #Haiti, report emergency info and location by texting 4636. Info will be posted at http://haiti.ushahidi.com PLEASE RT"

2. Visit http://haiti.ushahidi.com to learn more. Follow @ushahidi @joshnesbit @whiteafrican for more information.

3. Retweet this post and post it on Facebook using the information above.

Why This Matters:

Ushahidi is a platform that can aggregate and disseminate an incredible volume of life-saving information, but only if it has that information in the first place. They have literally hundreds of volunteers involved ready to sort through any and all information they receive, but they need us to get the word to people on the ground.

Photo Credit: simminch

Press Release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 16, 2010

CONTACT:

PRIMARY CONTACT: Patrick Meier, Ushahidi: Patrick@ushahidi.com

Josh Nesbit, FrontlineSMS:Medic: josh@medic.frontlinesms.com

Nico di Tada, InSTEDD: nditada@instedd.org

Ushahidi Urging Haitians and Humanitarian Workers to

Text Information to 4636 Free of Charge

Citizen-reporting platform Ushahidi has gained international renown this week for its innovative contribution to information-gathering in the wake of the earthquake in Haiti. Now, Ushahidi, in partnership with U.S. Department of State and others, has introduced an SMS shortcode for subscribers on the DigiCell network in Haiti to send text messages free of charge. The shortcode makes it even faster and easier for eyewitnesses to report developments on the ground.

DigiCell subscribers in Haiti can text 4636 with location and description of emergencies and missing persons. Ushahidi’s Haiti platform is live at: http://haiti.ushahidi.com.

Please note that the SMS shortcode is dependent on local telecom infrastructure -- if the infrastructure fails, the local SMS service will not work. However, there are several ways that incidents may be reported:

    By sending a local text message to 4636 or internationally at +447624802524
    On Twitter with hash tag #haiti or #haitiquake

BACKGROUND:

Minutes after the earthquake was felt in Haiti, a global team of staff and volunteers deployed Ushahidi, an incident reporting and mapping tool widely known for tracking post-election violence in Kenya, conflict in Gaza, and national elections in India. As the primary platform for reporting incidents in Haiti, Ushahidi serves as a vital tool to aid decision-making, direct resources and understand the situation in real time.

The Ushahidi team is collaborating with many organizations working in Haiti and beyond: the U.S. Department of State, the United Nations, the International Network of Crisis Mappers and the major telecommunications operators in Haiti, among others. A team of developers, humanitarians, academics, and international development practitioners have been working to ensure the site is stable and that incoming reports are accurately categorized and geo-located.

The system is currently tracking information in the several categories and subcategories including: emergencies, threats, responder activities, news about individuals, and the location of resources.

To see media reports on Ushahidi’s work on this crisis, visit http://www.google.com/news/search?aq=f&pz=1&cf=all&ned=us&hl=en&q=Haiti+Ushahidi

Nathaniel Whittemore is the founder of Assetmap. Previously he was the founding director of the Northwestern University Center for Global Engagement.
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