As historic floods ravage the country, Facebook’s parent company Meta on Wednesday announced that it will donate Rs125 million to flood victims.
The technology company will donate the amount to Unicef, Hands and Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi (ITA) to help the communities affected by the floods, the company said in a press release. .
The donation will support emergency aid, food, water and sanitation as well as help children return to school in Sindh, Punjab, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
“Pakistan is facing one of the worst natural disasters we have seen so far. Millions of people have been affected and the whole country is coming together to support them in this difficult time. We We hope that our contributions will help the communities affected by the disaster and our thoughts are with these communities and families as they try to recover,” said Jordi Fornies, director for Emergency Markets, APAC in Meta.
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The company said that before the donation was made when the flood started, the Safety Check was activated on Facebook so that people can let friends and family know that they are safe. An emergency page was also set up where people can use the Community Help section where people can ask and offer help from different communities.
In addition, Meta’s ‘Data for Good’ activated its Disaster Mapping program and is providing data to regional response partners. One of those partners, CrisisReady (a collaboration between Direct Relief and Harvard University), is focused on integrating data into situation reports that are used every day by thousands of people. first responder on the ground.
“The heavy rains of the past weeks damaged or completely washed away people’s houses, affecting millions of people, including children. Due to the cold weather in some parts of the country, we need urgent help to continue our relief efforts in Pakistan and support for children and their families. We extend our thanks to Meta for all the support,” said Michael J Nyenhuis, president and CEO of Unicef USA.
Organizations across Meta’s various platforms have raised more than a million dollars for non-profits to support flood relief efforts. Popular organizations around the globe have also amassed a large following through Facebook and Instagram.
Commenting on the development, Baela Raza Jamil, CEO, ITA, said: “We will restore schools, ensure 2nd Chance Accelerated education programs with life skills (psychological support, climate change and digital), and provide sanitation and health and dignity kits. It’s a unique and inclusive way to #BuildingBackBetter by reaching homes, communities, schools, parents, children, especially girls and teachers are embedded in government systems for accountability and preparedness.”
The official statement also stated that Meta continues to explore other ways to facilitate not only families in the affected regions but also to support NGOs and other causes in their efforts.
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