CNN has created a special “Victims and Relief Desk”. This will be a means to help link missing and stranded people from the Hurricane with families and friends who are searching for them. ICN noted on Monday night what may have been the first instance of something along these lines when Rick Sanchez interviewed a woman by phone in North Carolina who was trying to get her relatives stuck on a roof in New Orleans rescued. Now CNN is doing a regular program segment hosted by Carol Lin. This segment will also focus on hurricane Katrina relief efforts. Quoting the press release…

“As journalists covering Katrina’s aftermath, our responsibility goes beyond describing and showing the horrific scenes of an area devastated by a hurricane,” said Susan Bunda, senior vice president of news for CNN/U.S. “We must also serve as a conduit of communication, providing as best we can a way for people affected by Katrina to find each other or to get the relief they need.”

The creation of the desk helps CNN sort through hundreds of calls and e-mails to the network seeking help in connecting stranded and missing people with their loved ones. While the network cannot conduct full-scale searches itself, CNN crews in all of the hurricane-torn areas will shoot video of refugees, letting them state their name and location so that families and friends will know their condition. CNN/U.S. will air video clips and photos as part of the Victims and Relief Desk.

For its online efforts, CNN encourages viewers and CNN.com users to send information to hurricanevictims@cnn.com. CNN.com will post names of those missing as well as names and locations of those who survived but have been stranded or reported missing. CNN.com has also compiled and posted some of the thousands of stories, photos and video submitted by citizen journalists.