Nepal Diaspora in Key Send countries can support loved ones with
No-Fee* Money Transfer Transactions to Nepal
The Western Union Foundation Commits US$200,000 in Support to NGOs
Serving Impacted Region
ENGLEWOOD, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
The
Western Union Company today announced a multi-faceted response that
leverages its broad connectivity, retail, online, Agents and people to
provide support for families and communities most affected by the
earthquake in Nepal.
International Consumer Activation:
For consumers sending money to family and loved ones in Nepal, from now
until the 14th of May 2015, Western Union will activate a
no-fee* money transfer transaction program from participating Western
Union Agent locations in the: United States, Europe, Syria, Saudi
Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Iraq, Maldives, China,
Malaysia, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Singapore, Japan,
Turkey, Israel and Lebanon, all countries with a concentration of Nepali
diaspora.
Consumers who use Western Union online services and mobile applications
to send money, where available, can also avail of no-fee*
transactions to Nepal until 31st of May 2015. Online
consumers will need to use the promotion code NEPALRELIEF2015.
Western Union Foundation Charitable
Contributions:
The Western Union Foundation is committing US$200,000 to support the
relief efforts through discretionary and matching grants in partnership
with WU employees, Agents, and business customers.
The Western Union Foundation will provide a dollar-for-dollar match of
qualifying contributions from Western Union Agents, business customers
and other business partners; and 2:1 employee donations to NGOs
providing disaster relief.
The Western Union Foundation will contribute a portion of the relief
funding to Mercy
Corps. The Mercy Corps response team is currently prioritizing
efforts to provide shelter, food and water.
“We are committed to helping the communities we serve. Our thoughts are
with the people of Nepal and the Nepali diaspora community around the
world, during this time of need,” said Western Union Chief Executive
Officer,
Hikmet Ersek
. “In addition to immediate response, we will be
working with Western Union Agents, employees and nonprofit partners to
provide additional support for long-term initiatives that will help the
area recover and rebuild.”
Western Union Foundation President,
Patrick Gaston
, added, “The
earthquake in Nepal has caused widespread devastation with significant
loss of life, injury and unprecedented damage to property. The Western
Union Foundation is responding with support for relief efforts,
including programs that provide meals, shelter and clean drinking water
to families and children most affected.”
*Western Union makes money on the exchange of currencies.
Due to the severity of the earthquake, some Western Union Agent
locations in Nepal may not be immediately operational or possess
sufficient funds.
About Western Union
The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU) is a leader in global payment
services. Together with its Vigo, Orlandi Valuta, Pago Facil and Western
Union Business Solutions branded payment services, Western Union
provides consumers and businesses with fast, reliable and convenient
ways to send and receive money around the world, to send payments and to
purchase money orders. As of December 31, 2014, the Western Union, Vigo
and Orlandi Valuta branded services were offered through a combined
network of over 500,000 agent locations in 200 countries and territories
and over 100,000 ATMs and kiosks. In 2014, The Western Union Company
completed 255 million consumer-to-consumer transactions worldwide,
moving $85 billion of principal between consumers, and 484 million
business payments. For more information, visit www.westernunion.com.
About The Western Union Foundation
The Western Union Foundation is dedicated to creating a better world,
where the ability to realize dreams through economic opportunity is not
just a privilege for the few but a right for all. Through its signature
program, Education for Better, and with the support of The Western Union
Company, its employees, Agents, and business partners, The Western Union
Foundation works to realize this vision by supporting education and
disaster relief efforts as pathways toward a better future. Our combined
social ventures efforts make life better for individuals, families and
communities around the world. Since its inception, The Western Union
Foundation has paid more than $101.1 million in grants and other giving.
These funds have been pledged to more than 2,739 nongovernmental
organizations in more than 135 countries and territories. The Western
Union Foundation is a separate §501(c)(3) recognized United States
charity. To learn more, visit www.westernunionfoundation.org,
or Follow us on Twitter @TheWUFoundation.
WU-G
Source: Western Union