Signpost: Life-saving Information Platform for Those Fleeing Crisis

For people living in crisis, access to accurate and complete information is paramount when making critical decisions about their lives, livelihoods, and the wellbeing of themselves and their loved ones. However, too often in humanitarian contexts, this information is unavailable, inaccurate, incomplete, untrustworthy, or delivered in a way that is difficult to understand. This places people at higher risk of violence and exploitation and diminishes their ability to choose what is best for them.

Signpost was developed out of a joint initiative between international aid agencies led by the IRC and supported by technology partners including Google, Microsoft, TripAdvisor, Facebook, Twilio and more. It was launched in Greece in 2015 to address arriving migrants’ and asylum seekers’ needs for reliable and accurate information to navigate the complexities of the asylum system and to access critical services in Europe.

The Signpost platform provides connectivity and user-focused information in the languages of target populations through context-appropriate channels, including Facebook pages and groups and a website with blog articles and interactive service maps. Through responsive information services, Signpost empowers people in times of crisis to make well-informed critical decisions on the myriad issues that matter most to them. Signpost delivers on this mandate via a suite of software components used to create user-friendly content and deploy two-way communication via digital platforms our clients already use, at scale and in the languages they speak.

Signpost has deployed local instances in Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Bangladesh, Kenya, Pakistan, Greece, Italy, Serbia, Bulgaria, Colombia/Venezuela, Iraq and Mexico – with even more new instances launching in 2021. There are over two million users worldwide.

Our approach places the power of information in the hands of those who depend on it for their safety and survival.

Thank you for supporting Signpost. Your contribution allows us to continue launching new Signpost instances for crisis-affected populations.