Google said on Thursday that it will contribute $50000 to Pakistani flood relief efforts.
Vice President of Google Southeast Asia Stephanie Davis announced on LinkedIn that the tech giant will contribute the sum—roughly 110 million rupees—to the Centre for Disaster Philanthropy through Google.org.
She continued by saying that the Center for Disaster Philanthropy will in turn give sub-grants to neighborhood organizations that are actively involved in disaster response and recovery.
“Our hearts go out to each and every one impacted by the ongoing floods in #Pakistan. Even when faced with the fear of having their homes washed away and vital farmland destroyed, we have also witnessed #Pakistanis and communities coming together to help each other. We are inspired by their bravery, and we want to help,” Davis wrote in the post.
She continued by saying that the business will continue to look for ways to use its resources and tools to aid Pakistan.
Separately, Farhan Qureshi, Google’s Regional Head for South Asian Frontier Markets, reported that workers had already given more than Rs72 million in both personal donations and business additional money.
Apple CEO Tim Cook announced earlier this week that his business will contribute to relief and rebuilding operations.
“The floods in Pakistan and the adjacent countries are terrible tragedies for the human race. Our sympathies are with the numerous families who have been uprooted, the those who have lost loved ones, and everyone else affected,” he had tweeted.
“Monster” monsoon floods have washed away 45 per cent of country’s cropland, mainly in Sindh and caused around $10 billion in damages on the whole, according to Climate Change Minister Sherry Rehman. In her estimation, around 70pc districts in the country are now under water. Overall, a third of Pakistan — or an area roughly the size of the UK — is inundated.
110 districts have been impacted, according to government statistics, with 34 in Balochistan, 33 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 16 in Sindh, and the remaining districts in Punjab, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Kashmir.
At least 1,191 people, including 399 children, have died as a result of the floods, with 21 deaths being recorded in the past day.
To aid Pakistan in coping with the devastating floods, the United Nations and the Pakistani government issued a quick appeal on Tuesday for $160 million.
