California, US (BBN)-Facebook is urging its users to support victims of the Nepal earthquake with the promise that it will match every dollar donated up to $2 million.
Anyone logging into the social network today will see a message at the top of their News Feed with an option to donate to humanitarian charity International Medical Corps, reports The Telegraph.
The IMC has emergency response teams operating mobile medical units in Nepal, India and Bangladesh, to deliver medical care and medicines to the regions hardest hit by the earthquake.
“Many health facilities are damaged or destroyed and those that are functioning are running low on supplies including antibiotics and IV fluids,” said Sean Casey, IMC Emergency Response team leader in Nepal.
Facebook said that its matching funds will be distributed to local relief and rescue organisations working to provide immediate and ongoing relief.
As well as the “Donate” feature, Facebook is also enabling users to indicate that they are safe using the social network’s “Safety Check” tool.
Users in areas affected by the earthquake will receive a Facebook notification asking if they are safe, and will be able to reassure friends and familiy with the touch of a button.
Facebook said millions of users in Nepal, India, Bhutan and Bangladesh had been marked as safe, and their status had been relayed to tens of millions of people as of Monday afternoon.
“During times of crisis, we have seen people turn to Facebook to learn about what’s happening, share their experiences and support one another,” said Facebook in a blog post.
“By offering tools to help people donate to support those in the affected areas and check on loved ones, we’re hopeful that together we can promote safety and help urgent resources reach those who need them.”
Facebook is not the only technology company offering resources to help the relief effort. Apple is asking iTunes users to donate money to the American Red Cross through its iTunes Store, and Twitter is helping to raise funds through UNICEF.
Meanwhile, Google is working to get updated satellite imagery to aid in the recovery effort, and has launched its Person Finder tool to help people determine whether those who may have been in the area of the earthquake are safe.
BBN/SK/AD-29Apr15-1:30pm (BST)