Corporate Sector Rallies in a Time of Need

The ongoing army operations against militants holed up in the North West Frontier of Pakistan has led to what the UN terms as one of the largest mass migrations in recent history, with more than 3m people having to flee to safer zones. As can be imagined, massive relief efforts were required to cater for the immediate needs of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), including shelter, food and medicines. The corporate sector in Pakistan has played an active role in contributing to these efforts, with the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FPCCI) donating Rs. 150m in the form of relief goods, the Jang Group (Pakistan's largest media house) raising millions of rupees thru telethons and offline campaigns, local airline AirBlue teaming up with an NGO HelpCounts for airlifting of relief goods, the Pakistan Telecommunication Corporation setting up free Public Call Offices at the IDP camps and the telecom companies donating Rs.100m to the Prime Minister's fund for IDPs. Employees of a very large number of other firms have donated a day's salary to the fund and even Emirates airlines has pitched in, shipping 120 tonnes of supplies for the IDPs.

Despite all these efforts, the scale of the challenge is enormous and the government is seeking more donations in cash or kind. If you want to help, visit http://helpidp.org/, http://www.geo.tv/swat/ or see details of the Prime Minister's Fund to which you can send your donations. If you're in Pakistan, you can donate Rs.10 per SMS by typing FUND and sending it to 1199 for donating to the Prime Minister's Fund. And remember, every bit helps.