ISLAMABAD: The tech giant Meta has announced a donation of Rs125 million for the support of flood-hit people in Pakistan.
Meta will spend this money through the United Nations International Children’s Education Fund (UNICEF), Hands, and Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi (ITA) to help communities impacted by the cataclysmic floods in Pakistan.
According to Meta, the parent company of Facebook and other social media platforms, the donation will support emergency aid, food, water, sanitation and help children get back to school in Sindh, Punjab, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan.
Director for Emerging Markets, APAC at Meta Jordi Fornies said, “Pakistan is going through the worst natural disaster and millions of people are affected and the entire nation is rallying to support them during this difficult time. We hope that our contributions help the communities impacted by the catastrophe and our thoughts are with these communities and families as they try to recover.”
Meta had already activated the Safety Check feature on Facebook when the floods hit Pakistan this July, allowing people to let friends and family know they were safe. Meanwhile, a crisis page had also been developed where people could use the Community Help feature to enable people to ask for and offer help.
Michael J Nyenhuis, President and CEO of UNICEF USA said, “The torrential monsoon rains over the past weeks have damaged or completely washed away people’s houses, critically affecting millions of people. With winter just weeks away, we need urgent help to continue our relief efforts in Pakistan and support for children and their families. We express our gratitude to Meta for all the support,” said
Communities across various Meta-owned platforms have raised more than a million dollars for non-profits supporting flood relief efforts. Leading NGOs across the globe have also raised substantial amounts via Facebook and Instagram.
Commenting on the development, ITA CEO Baela Raza Jamil, said:
“We will rehabilitate schools, ensure 2nd Chance Accelerated learning programs with life skills (psychosocial support, climate change and digital literacy), and provide hygiene & health with dignity kits. This is a comprehensive and inclusive approach to #BuildingBackBetter by reaching homes, communities, schools, parents, children, and especially adolescent girls and teachers embedded within government systems for effective emergency response and preparedness.”
Meta is continuously exploring further avenues to facilitate not just families in the devastated regions but also supporting NGOs and other causes in their efforts, the statement concluded.
