Funds from Western Union and Western Union
Foundation to support immediate relief efforts focused on most
urgent needs of displaced Moria residents
Western Union, a global leader in cross-border, cross-currency
money movement and payments, and the Western Union Foundation have
announced the Foundation’s pledge of USD 250K in relief to support
the immediate and long term recovery needs of refugees including
the people displaced from Greece’s Moria Camp. More than 12,000
people have been evacuated from the Moria Camp on the island of
Lesbos, which was destroyed by fires earlier this week.
The camp was the temporary home to migrants, refugees and asylum
seekers from more than 70 different countries, among them elderly,
pregnant women, children, and people with disabilities. With a fire
devastating their only place of refuge, thousands are now without
shelter and access to water and sanitation.
The Foundation will deploy USD 100K to support the International
Rescue Committee (IRC) in their immediate relief efforts for the
Moria camp evacuees. Funds will support secure accommodations,
mental health and psychosocial support, and distribution of urgent
supplies, with a focus on safety to avoid the risk of COVID-19
transmission. An additional USD 150K in funding will support
longer-term advocacy and relief efforts to enable sustainable
living for refugees in Greece.
“Western Union and our Foundation are unrelenting in our support
of migrants, refugees and forcibly displaced people around the
globe. Our hearts are with the people of the Moria camp,” said
Hikmet Ersek, Western Union President and CEO. “Many of our
customers are migrants who have moved from their home to their host
country for a variety of reasons - economic, financial,
family-driven, or security reasons.”
“We call on global leaders to come together to support this
vulnerable community as their survival is at stake. We know
first-hand that people thrive when they are given fundamental
support and opportunities through education, job skills training,
and access to the global economy.”
In a recent statement released by the IRC, Dimitra
Kalogeropoulou, IRC Greece Country Director, said, “The recent
events in Moria are unthinkable but, tragically, predictable. The
dire situation on the islands has gone on for far too long. With
the camp destroyed and residents evacuated, the situation is
alarming as there is no secure place to live. These already
traumatized people have now lost what few belongings they had; they
have nothing.”
Since its inception, the Western Union Foundation has granted
USD 10.5M globally to support displaced persons, including
immigrants, refugees, asylees, conflict-affected, and migrants.
This includes USD 2.5M across Europe.
Since 2018, the Western Union Foundation, in partnership with
MIT D-Lab, has been providing hands-on, experiential learning in
design, innovation, and entrepreneurship for refugees in Greece.
These individuals are being equipped with technical and soft skills
to establish their own business while building confidence, agency,
and problem-solving ability.
Globally, more than 70 million people were forced from home by
conflict and persecution at the end of 2018, according to the UN.
Among them are nearly 30 million refugees, over half of whom are
under the age of 18. There are also millions of stateless people
who have been denied a nationality and access to fundamental rights
such as education, healthcare, employment, and freedom of
movement.
WU-G
About Western Union
The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU) is a global leader in
cross-border, cross-currency money movement and payments. Our
omnichannel platform connects the digital and physical worlds and
makes it possible for consumers and businesses to send and receive
money and make payments with speed, ease, and reliability. As of
June 30, 2020, our network included over 550,000 retail agent
locations offering our branded services in more than 200 countries
and territories, with the capability to send money to billions of
accounts. Additionally, westernunion.com, our fastest growing
channel in 2019, is available in over 75 countries, plus additional
territories, to move money around the world. With our global reach,
Western Union moves money for better, connecting family, friends,
and businesses to enable financial inclusion and support economic
growth. For more information, visit www.westernunion.com.
About the Western Union Foundation
The Western Union Foundation believes that education is the
surest pathway to economic opportunity. After nearly 20 years of
impact, we are continuing to deliver against our mission with our
Opportunity Beyond Borders commitment, with a focus on empowering
forcibly displaced and marginalized youth with the training and
education needed to succeed in today’s technology-driven global
economy. The Foundation also provides funding to communities in
crisis through disaster relief and other humanitarian efforts, a
key reason for forced migration. To date, more than $126 million
granted to fund projects and scholarships in 174 countries across
the globe. The Western Union Foundation is a separate charitable
corporation that is tax-exempt under 501(c)(3) of the US Internal
Revenue Code and receives support from The Western Union Company,
its employees, agents, and business partners. Contributions to the
Foundation are tax-deductible for US income tax purposes. To learn
more, visit wu.com/foundation or follow us on Twitter
@TheWUFoundation.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200911005525/en/
Western Union Global Communications; Pia De Lima;
Pia.DeLima@westernunion.com Western Union Americas: Margaret
Fogarty; margaret.fogarty@wu.com Western Union Middle East &
Africa: Mohamed El Khalouki; Mohamed.ElKhalouki@wu.com Western
Union Asia-Pacific: Karen Santos; Karen.Santos2@westernunion.com
Western Union Foundation: Emily Larson; emily.larson@wu.com
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