BMW Group to donate money for flood victims in Pakistan

As part of its ongoing commitment to social responsibility, BMW Group has pledged its support and unity to the victims of the devastating floods that hit Pakistan on July 29th.

BMW Group will be donating AED1,000,000 to one of the world’s largest and credible humanitarian organisations – Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere (CARE) – to help provide immediate relief and support where it is needed quickly and effectively. In addition to a corporate donation, BMW Group has set up an internal drive across its global employee network to help make it easy to make personal donations.

“A disaster of this magnitude is huge for any government to deal with and requires active involvement from as many parties as possible. BMW Group Middle East has therefore decided to make this announcement public to try and encourage others to donate what they can to support this country. With up to eight million people in need of urgent assistance and medical care, is it essential that we all take responsibility and work collectively towards ensuring Pakistan’s recovery,” said Phil Horton, Managing Director of BMW Group Middle East.

“With BMW sales in Pakistan falling under the responsibility of our office in Dubai, we are delighted to support this initiative of our parent company in Munich,” added Horton.

These are the worst floods the country has experienced in 80 years, affecting an estimated 20 million people. Relief is reaching many affected communities however, with an estimated five million people left homeless and a widespread fear of epidemics breaking out, this disaster is still unfolding. Children are particularly vulnerable to water-borne diseases such as cholera and diarrhoea and there is an increased risk of malaria outbreaks. The immediate priorities are food, clean drinking water, tents and medical assistance, which is how CARE will use the money pledged by the BMW Group.

CARE has been working in Pakistan since the earthquake in 2005 where it was able to mobilise quickly and support the thousands of on ground volunteers. In response to the floods in Pakistan, CARE has launched an initial appeal of $5 million to help 100,000 people with immediate relief and long-term recovery assistance. To date, they have distributed shelter materials and emergency supplies such as mosquito nets, plastic floor mats, water purification tabs, hygiene kits and kitchen sets to more than 4,000 people in the worst-affected areas of Swat, Charsadda and Nowshera, and their mobile health clinics have treated nearly 5,000 people.

CARE is one of the world’s largest private international humanitarian organizations, committed to helping families in poor communities improve their lives and achieve lasting victories over poverty. Its mission is to serve individuals and families in the poorest communities in the world.