Telecommunications operator encourages others to follow suit as urgent action needed to shelter homeless Haitians before rainy season begins.
Thursday, February 25th, 2010 – Kingston, Jamaica: Digicel today announced details of its plans to purchase and distribute 19,000 six-man tents – valued at US$3 million – to provide shelter to more than 100,000 Haitians who are living in makeshift campsites following the January 12th earthquake which devastated Port-au-Prince and its surrounding areas.
The tents – which are designed for extended living in wilderness conditions – have a 10x10 foot coated polyethylene ‘bathtub’ floor which is separate from the tent walls and gives protection from groundwater. The tents – purchased from a manufacturer in the US – are being shipped to Port-au-Prince from Bangladesh on 14x40 foot containers and are scheduled to arrive in Port-au-Prince at the end of March.
Working with its existing distribution channels and the Digicel Foundation, Digicel will distribute the 19,000 tents to Haitians who are living on the streets with no shelter.
Digicel Group CEO, Colm Delves, commented: “With an estimated one million people living in makeshift dwellings in Port-au-Prince, the Government of Haiti and NGOs providing relief efforts in the country are increasingly concerned that many more lives will be lost if people are not provided with sheltered accommodation to protect them from the imminent arrival of rainy season. Not only do people need proper shelter where they can stay safe and dry, but it will also help stop the spread of disease through the makeshift camps that have been set up across the city.
“However, while the tents we are donating will go some way towards providing sheltered accommodation, we need more organizations from across the world to step in and provide this urgent support.”
As the single largest investor in Haiti, Digicel has invested US$370 million since its launch in 2006. In total, Digicel has donated over US$20 million to support the relief efforts in Haiti, which includes a US$5 million direct donation to NGOs, US$5 free credit to each of its two million customers – totaling US$10 million, funds raised from a text and voice donation line for customers across its 32 markets, as well various initiatives that individual markets have hosted such as radiothons and concerts.
ABOUT DIGICEL GROUP
After eight years of operation, Digicel has 8.8 million customers across its Caribbean and Central American markets and is renowned for competitive rates, unbeatable coverage, superior customer care, a wide variety of products and services and state-of-the-art handsets. By offering innovative wireless services and community support, Digicel has become a leading brand in the Caribbean and has placed the region at the cutting-edge of wireless communications – the company is also a recent entrant to the Central American and Pacific markets.
Digicel is incorporated in Bermuda and now has operations in 32 markets world-wide. Its Caribbean and Central American markets comprise Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba, Barbados, Bermuda, Bonaire, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Curacao, Dominica, El Salvador, French Guiana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Martinique, Panama, St Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago and Turks & Caicos. The Caribbean company also has coverage in St. Martin and St. Barths. Digicel Pacific comprises Fiji, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu.
In total, across its 32 markets, Digicel has 10.3 million subscribers.
Digicel is the lead sponsor of Caribbean and Central American sports teams, including the West Indies Cricket Team and Special Olympics teams throughout the region. Digicel is also title sponsor of the Digicel Caribbean Championships and the Copa de Naciones Digicel, which are the Caribbean and Central American qualifiers to the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Visit www.digicelgroup.com for more information on Digicel.