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Google to match user donations for refugee crisis

Refugees and migrants wait to pass from the northern Greek village of Idomeni to southern Macedonia, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2015. Thousands of people, including many families with young children, braved torrential downpours to cross Greece’s northern border with Macedonia early Thursday, after Greek authorities managed to register about 17,000 people on the island of Lesbos in the space of a few days, allowing them to continue their journey north into Europe. (AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos).
Refugees and migrants wait to pass from the northern Greek village of Idomeni to southern Macedonia, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2015. Thousands of people, including many families with young children, braved torrential downpours to cross Greece’s northern border with Macedonia early Thursday, after Greek authorities managed to register about 17,000 people on the island of Lesbos in the space of a few days, allowing them to continue their journey north into Europe. (AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos). AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos

Google is asking its users to do their part to help with the migrant crisis, as thousands of refugees continue their difficult journey across Europe. The tech giant is offering to match up to US$5.5 million in donations to humanitarian relief for refugees and migrants.

The company has already promised to donate US$1.1 million to organizations providing front-line humanitarian relief to refugees around the world.

User donations will be distributed between Doctors Without Borders, the International Rescue Committee, Save the Children and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

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READ MORE: How refugees are using Google Maps, social media to cross borders

Google announced the initiative in a blog post written by Rita Masoud, a project marketing manager for Google and a refugee from Afghanistan.

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“I was born in war-torn Kabul, Afghanistan. When I was seven, my family and I fled to Europe with our belongings in a single suitcase, hoping for a safer and better future. Our journey involved many dark train and bus rides, as well as hunger, thirst, cold and fear. Fortunately, we received asylum in The Netherlands, where I grew up in a safe environment and was able to find my way in life,” wrote Masoud.

“I was lucky. But as the refugee and migrant crisis has grown, many people like my family are desperate for help.”

You can visit google.com/refugeerelief to make a donation.

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