Emergency Response

 

As a socially responsible organization, Telenor Pakistan has always responded to the call of natural, man-made and conflict emergencies by targeting specific and un-met needs of the affected. As part of its emergency response program, the company has intervened in cash and in kind including Food Items, Non Food Items, Shelters and WASH facility amounting to PKR 425 million since its inception.

Emergency response remains a central theme in Telenor Pakistan Corporate Responsibility initiatives. To date, Telenor Pakistan, in partnership with government and other organizations such as Pakistan Red Crescent Society, has taken part in emergency response and relief for various disaster situations, some of which include:

  • Contributions of Rs 29 million for Nonfood items and shelter to 700 families in 2015 KPK earthquake
  • Contribution of Rs 20 million for Floods 2014
  • Contribution of Rs 10.5 million for IDP Crises Bannu 2014
  • Contribution of Rs 5.5 million for Tharparker Relief
  • Contribution of 22.5 million for the Awaraan Earthquake 2013
  • Contribution of Rs. 280 million in cash and kind for foods during 2010-12
  • Contribution of Rs.17 million for IDP crisis in Pakistan’s tribal areas
  • Contribution worth Rs.2 million in Attabad Lake incident
  • Contributed Rs.2.5 million towards earthquake in Balochistan
  • Contributed Rs.65 million in the face of 2005 earthquake in northern areas of Pakistan

Telenor Pakistan’s team of volunteers is well versed and equipped to respond in such scenarios and we have earmarked our Cells on Wheels (CoWs) to immediately restore communication services in a disaster scenario.

Beneficiary Communication (AID SMS)

Telenor Pakistan in 2014 initiated a Beneficiary CommunicationsProject in partnership with Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS). This project uses our core competency to provide an effective SMS-based communication platform between PRCS & the Community in times of disaster which includes location-based opt-in service for subscribers to receive timely messages pertaining to disaster alerts, relief, pre/post emergency awareness and aid disbursement

In times of disaster and crisis, communication with those affected is vital. It allows aid agencies to provide communities with life-saving and life changing information. It helps agencies to manage the demand on their services and to ensure a greater quality of aid delivery. It gives those affected a voice and makes the agencies accountable for the services that they deliver.  Perhaps most importantly of all, it gives hope. Mobile telephony is one of the most effective, direct and timely methods of communication.

However mobile communication with disaster affected communities can be very difficult. Often the mobile communications networks themselves will have been damaged and will also be congested because of the surge in demand as survivors attempt to locate family and friends. TERA is a communications system that is specifically designed to meet this challenge. 40 million early warning SMS were broadcasted, to prevent potential damage caused by natural disasters in 2015.