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| Friday, 28 January 2005 |
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GENEVA - The Head of the United nations World Food Program today paid tribute to the 'Truly Historic" support from the private sector to the agency's emergency operations in the tsunami crisis, saying that without these generous donations, WFP would never have been able to hit its funding target so quickly. WFP Executive Director James Morris said that private companies and individuals had collectively provided 20 per cent of the US $ 256 million food relief operation for tsunami survivors, a record in the agency's 40-plus years of existence, WFP press release has stated. "It is exciting and inspiring for us to see such an unprecedented response from the private sector," Morris said, citing contributions to WFP ranging from helicopters to on-line cash donations to drinking water and logistics experts. "The corporate world has stepped up to the plate in this emergency. It's making investment and getting actively involved in global relief and development. Aid agencies may need to start thinking differently about how to get the most benefit from their private sector partnerships," said Morris. Following the December 26 Indian Ocean Earthquake and Tsunami, the top Fortune 500 companies pledged over US $ 100 million to assist survivors within the first 12 days of the crisis. Many of those pledges were made in the first 100 hours, well before some governments had responded. According to research by Hill & Knowlton, handled by Penn Schoen Berland, many companies described a grassroots movements, where staff spurred their management into action. "We were especially pleased to note that our own corporate partners quickly rallied to help us, not only with offers of cash, but also with assistance in terms of transport, expertise and personnel," said Morris. |
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