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Internet, mobile connectivity as vital as food, water for refugees: UN report

Xinhua, September 15, 2016 Adjust font size:

Mobile phones and Internet services are considered by refugees as a lifeline just as vital as food, water, or shelter, a new report issued by the UN refugee agency UNHCR showed Wednesday.

Jointly conducted with the Accenture company, the report found that refugees view Internet and mobile connectivity as being critical to their safety and security and essential for keeping in touch with loved ones.

The report, "Connecting Refugees: How Internet and mobile connectivity can improve refugee well-being and transform humanitarian action," is based on research undertaken in 44 countries across the world.

However, the report showed that affordability was often a barrier to connectivity, with refugees living in urban areas tending to have similar access to mobile networks as other urban populations, but for refugees in rural locations, only one in six refugees could get 3G access.

One in five rural refugees usually have no mobile coverage at all, which is significantly lower than for the population at large.

"This effectively prevents many refugees from participating in the cultural, educational, and economic activity that connectivity affords," the report said. Endit