Apple CEO Tim Cook promises that Cupertino will donate to flood relief and recovery efforts in Pakistan. The country was recently hit by severe glacial melt together with heavy monsoon rains that caused deadly floods.
U.N. Calls for Flood Relief and Recovery Efforts in Pakistan
According to NBC News, a third of Pakistan was underwater with more than 1,000 people killed due to severe flooding. The report also estimated $10 billion of damage caused by continuous rains. The country’s so-called “monster monsoon” swept away lives, homes, crops, and bridges in a weekly catastrophe brought about by flash floods. Supplies and power were cut off in affected areas as well.
Due to the heavy damage in Pakistan, the United Nations issued a flash appeal for flood relief and recovery emergency funds and urged the global community to give the country its attention and aid. The U.N. called for $160 million in emergency funds for Pakistan. “Pakistan is awash in suffering. The Pakistani people are facing a monsoon on steroids – the relentless impact of epochal levels of rain and flooding,” U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres said.
Apple Pledges Financial Donation
Apple was among the quickest to respond to the U.N.’s call for flood relief and recovery efforts for Pakistan. In a tweet, Apple CEO Tim Cook confirmed that “Apple will donate to relief and recovery efforts on the ground.”
Tim Cook did not say how much Apple will donate but the company routinely donates to humanitarian efforts globally. In March, it provided relief for families affected by the crisis in Ukraine in partnership with UNICEF. Also, in October 2021, Apple helped communities to recover from severe flooding in Northern China.
Hopefully, other big corporations will follow Apple’s lead. Pakistan badly needs all the help it can get. Although the rains have stopped and floodwaters started to recede, large areas remain submerged. It will take some time before the country fully recovers from this disaster.