The FINANCIAL — The BNP Paribas Rescue & Recover Fund marks its first anniversary. The Fund's founding members and partner NGOs are delighted at what has been achieved: a total of over EUR 750,000 collected and donated to date, according to BNP Paribas.
Since it was set up in late 2012, the Fund has run five separate appeals. It channelled contributions from BNP Paribas and its staff to rescue and recover efforts during the three major humanitarian crises which struck in 2013: the flooding in India in July; the plight of civilians who had fallen victim to the heightened conflict in Syria in September; and the devastating typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines in November. The Fund also mobilised aid to support the long-term activities of our partner NGOs in two other crucial fields: mother-and-child healthcare in Mali, Niger and the Central African Republic; and providing supplies of drinking water in Cameroon, Vietnam and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
“A year ago, in response to requests from BNP Paribas staff, we launched the initiative to set up this appeal fund in tandem with four of our subsidiaries – BNP Paribas Fortis, BNP Paribas Cardif, BNP Paribas Personal Finance and BNP Paribas Suisse (SA). The Fund is both a pioneering effort in terms of humanitarian work and a unifying force among our staff, and we have already succeeded in collecting over EUR 750,000 on behalf of our partner NGOs,” said Baudouin Prot, BNP Paribas Chairman and President of the Rescue & Recover Fund.
“The unique feature of the BNP Paribas fund is that it provides for action to be taken immediately. This is the first time that a major company in France has had the foresight to create a pre-emptive instrument," said Philippe Lévêque, Director-General, CARE France.
“Thanks to the BNP Paribas Rescue & Recover Fund, we're able to bring aid to victims of disasters that are not currently in the media spotlight and for whom it is therefore difficult to raise funds but where humanitarian actions are nonetheless vital,” said Anne Bideau, Head of Technical Support, International Relations & Operations, Red Cross France.
“More than 96 % of the resources of Médecins Sans Frontières come from private donations. The Rescue & Recover Fund makes a significant contribution to our actions on the ground to assist the most deprived groups of people. The Fund encourages BNP Paribas employees to get involved alongside humanitarian workers. This is a real partnership in the true sense of the word," said Mélanie Cagniart, Director for Private Donations, Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders.
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