Language translation technology, services and content company SDL, based in Maidenhead, has announced that it has pledged support to help humanitarian translations reach more people around the world by continuing gold sponsorship of Translators without Borders.

Translators without Borders (TWB) strives to provide people access to vital, often life-saving, information in their own language by connecting non-profit organisations with a community of professional translators, building local language translation capacity and raising awareness of language barriers.

Since 2011, TWB has translated over forty million words in over 190 language pairs in the areas of crisis relief, health and education. The organisation has responded to urgent crises by using its Words of Relief model, working with partners, to provide vital information in the appropriate languages to those affected by the European refugee crisis, the Ebola crisis and the Nepal earthquake.

Words of Relief ensures better communications with communities when crisis response aid workers and affected populations do not speak the same language.

The financial support provided by sponsors is critical to sustaining and growing the organisation. "In the course of our work, we've become aware of a huge need, which is for people in poor countries to be able to access global knowledge in their own language", explained Aimee Ansari, Executive Director of Translators without Borders.

"According to UNICEF, more people die from lack of knowledge than from diseases. People in poor countries are simply unable to access global knowledge in a language they understand. Mobile technology may be bringing more people information, but we still need to bridge the 'language last mile'. Translators without Borders is delivering this much needed help through a myriad of tools and programs so that more people will be able to access the knowledge they need in a language they understand".

Alastair Gordon, Chairman of the SDL Foundation, said: "Facilitating understanding is the core mission of SDL and we are proud to continue to sponsor Translators without Borders which has made such enormous strides in this area. Access to information in the right language can make all the difference during times of crisis".

Aimee Ansari added: "We are incredibly grateful to SDL for this assistance, which is critical to enable us, in turn, to support more humanitarian work around the globe".