ENGLEWOOD, Colorado,
April 30, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --
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
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.
(Logo:
http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130515/613588 )
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
http://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 $101.1million 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
http://www.westernunionfoundation.org, or Follow us on Twitter
@TheWUFoundation
WU-G