Facebook's new feature lets users help disaster victims

Facebook is expanding on its Safety Check feature, which allows users to mark that they're "safe" during a natural disaster or terrorist attack in the area. Locals can now offer assistance to victims by providing resources such as food, shelter, transportation, and water.

The new feature — "Community Help" — launched today in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India and Saudi Arabia. After a few weeks of testing, Facebook hopes to expand to additional countries and different types of incidents.

How to use: Safety Check must be activated first. Then people offering assistance can post their donations online, and users seeking help will be able to view those posts by location and category. Facebook says it consulted experts and humanitarian relief organizations when developing this new feature.