DOHA: Ooredoo is working with GSMA and Souktel Mobile Solutions to develop new partnerships and enhance strategies to manage disaster preparedness, following the first Middle East Summit on Mobile Technology and Crisis Response.
Ooredoo Group has been providing emergency aid via technology such as a recent Gaza SMS donation campaign by Wataniya Palestine.
During the month-long drive, customers in Palestine could donate directly to relief efforts by pledging funds via text message through their mobile accounts. The rapid donations helped get real-time assistance to families in the Gaza Strip.
“Disaster relief and preparedness are becoming important elements of our strategy for serving the community, particularly as mobile technology opens new opportunities to provide support for people,” said Dr Nasser Marafih, Group CEO, Ooredoo.
Recently, Ooredoo Maldives has been in action to help tackle the Male water crisis, which left thousands of people without fresh water after a fire broke out at the main water and sewage company.
It provided a water tracking service on Ooredoo locate, the company real-time vehicle tracking system, which enabled users to find nearest mobile water units.
Ooredoo Group donated to the relief fund and provided tonnes of water bottles airlifted to the Maldives by Qatar Airways.
Over the summer, Asiacell, Ooredoo’s company in Iraq, pledged to help keep communication alive in conflict areas by distributing 10,000 free SIM cards equipped with a free SMS notification service offering information for internally displaced persons and refugees.
It also established a call centre in Sulaimanyah to connect people with organisations and programmes that provide support, and donated handsets to refugee camp representatives to enable families to contact each other in war zones.
Ooredoo’s Indosat provided emergency aid and free mobile access to help communities in Indonesia, forced from their homes by major flooding at the start of 2014. “Access to mobile network services can be a lifeline for those affected by crisis,” said Kyla Reid, Head of Disaster Response, GSMA.
“Innovative partnerships between mobile network operators and humanitarian organisations is critical in ensuring that those displaced or impacted by humanitarian emergencies are able to connect, seek and receive critical information and are able to support response activities in their communities.”
Jacob Korenblum, CEO, Souktel Mobile Solutions, said: “Partnerships are essential for achieving impact in humanitarian response work.”
The Peninsula
