Apple To Assist Europe Deal With Migrant Crisis

[caption id="attachment_1391" align="alignnone" width="640"]Migrants wait to enter a temporary centre on the border between Serbia and Macedonia near the village Miratovac – AFP[/caption]

American multinational technology company, Apple, has joined the group of volunteers assisting thousands of migrants, streaming into Europe from war-torn countries.

Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook wrote in a message on the company’s intranet site to employees, that the Macbook and iPhone maker will make a substantial donation to relief agencies supporting the migrants. 

The message reads: “As we’ve all seen and read in the news, millions of people from Syria and other Middle Eastern countries have fled their homes because of war and persecution.

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“Europe, where many hope to find safety, is experiencing a refugee crisis on a scale that hasn’t been seen since World War Two.

“Thousands of people have already lost their lives as families embark on long and dangerous journeys across land and sea.

“Apple is making a substantial donation to agencies such as the red cross, who are providing aid and assistance to refugees in Europe and the Mediterranean.”

Beyond the company’s donation, he said he plans to make it easier for Apple users to donate to the Red Cross, through applications downloaded from the App Store.

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“Apple is dedicated to advancing human rights around the world,

“We hope the actions we’re taking will help make the situation less desperate for some, and ease the hardship so many are enduring,” the message read.

Earlier this week, Google said it will match the first $5.5 million worth of donations globally until it raises $11 million.

The crisis in Europe has worsened as civilians seek to escape the four-year-old civil war in Syria, in addition to fleeing conflicts in Afghanistan, Yemen, Iraq and Libya.

In a recent post, the International Organization for Migration said that a record 473,887 refugees and migrants had crossed the Mediterranean to Europe so far in 2015, including at least 182,000 Syrians – almost 40 per cent of the total.

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