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Facebook is expanding Safety Check with a new feature meant to help users connect with each other after a disaster or other emergency.

Called Community Help, the feature opens up Safety Check so Facebook users can connect with each other to offer help after a crisis.

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First previewed in November, Community Help is now live in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India and Saudi Arabia for "natural and accidental incidents," though Facebook says it plans to expand to other countries and to cover more types of crises in the near future.

After Safety Check is activated in a certain area, say for an earthquake or flood, users will now see additional options to "find help" and "give help." Those who are able to offer aid, like short-term shelter, food or transportation, can post with their location and what they are able to offer.

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In addition to necessities like food and shelter, Facebook users can also offer baby supplies, pet supplies, clothing and other essentials people who have been displaced may need.

Credit: facebook

Those who need help, meanwhile, can search within "find help," to connect with others in their area who are able to provide assistance.

Facebook's Social Good product designer, Preethi Chethan, says Community Help is the natural evolution of how people were already using Facebook in times of criss. People were already using groups and other tools like public spreadsheets to informally ask for and offer help after disasters.

"These are really awesome uses of existing solutions, [but] they weren't always used very successfully because they weren't created specifically for this scenario," she says. "A lot of times there were missed connections or many needs would go unmet."

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TopicsFacebook