Inmarsat, the world’s leading provider of mobile satellite communications, is especially proud to sponsor the work of Télécoms Sans Frontières, the French charity which deploys emergency teams for the purpose of restoring communications in disaster zones. Inmarsat supplies TSF with free satellite communications equipment and financial support which enables the organization to provide telephone, fax, email, internet, data and image transmission any where on the planet regardless of the circumstances.
TSF sets up telecom centers and helps co-ordinate first responders’ relief efforts, enabling survivors to telephone loved-ones to say they’re alive. TSF is excited to announce the recent signing of a ground-breaking agreement with the United Nations establishing the charity as the UN’s principal communications provider in disaster situations.
In 2007, Inmarsat’s support for TSF was recognised with a top award for corporate social responsibility at the annual the Gulf Marketing Review Effectiveness in Marketing Awards, held in Dubai. The award focused on their support for the charity’s mission during the conflict inLebanon in 2006, in which more than 1,000 Lebanese and 160 Israelis were killed and an estimated 1 million people had to flee their homes.
Supported by Inmarsat’s equipment and technical expertise, TSF teams set up telecoms centers that enabled more than 600 Lebanese families to make contact with their loved-ones. These centers also helped co-ordinate communications for some 22 relief organisations working in the region.
Other missions where TSF and Inmarsat contributed to saving lives include:
February 2008 – Mozambique floods
Flooding in the Zambezi River basin saw an estimated 100,000 people flee their homes. In support of UNICEF, TSF was there, setting up two communication centers, co-ordinating relief operations and enabling victims the opportunity to contact loved-ones.
November 2007 – Bangladesh hit by cyclone
TSF supported relief efforts in Bangladesh after Cyclone Sidr hit, affecting 30 of the country’s 64 districts. Countless homes were destroyed, claiming more than 3,000 lives and leaving over 350,000 people without shelter.
September 2007 – Nicaragua hurricane
Hurricane Felix left a trail of destruction that affected an estimated 162,000 Nicaraguans, damaging more than 10,000 homes and leaving 67 people dead and another 110 missing.
September 2007 – Severe flooding in Ghana
Thousands of homes were destroyed by heavy flooding. Large areas of cropland were ruined, leading to the collapse of several major bridges – killing 20 and affecting more than 260,000 people.
August 2007 – Earthquake shakes coastline of Peru
Measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale, an earthquake struck the coastline nearPeru’s capital,Lima, killing more than 500 people and leaving tens of thousands homeless.
May 2007 – Uruguay hit by worst floods in 50 years
A national disaster was declared following the most severe floods in half a century. 12,000 people were forced to flee their homes. Crops and infrastructure were devastated.
April 2007 – Tsunami strikes Solomon Islands
An undersea earthquake measuring 8.1 on the Richter scale triggered a tsunami that pounded the remote Pacific islands in the Solomons. 35 people were killed and some 5,500 were left homeless.
February 2007 – Double blow for Mozambique
Severe flooding left an estimated 90,000 people homeless following a category 4 tropical cyclone. Another 60,000 people were in need of shelter.
May 2006 – Earthquake kills thousands on Java
An earthquake measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale struck theIsland of Java, killing almost 6,000 people and leaving an estimated 1.5 million homeless.
May 2006 – Floods in Surinam
Torrential rains caused several major rivers to flood in southern and central Surinam,South America. 37,000 people were left homeless.
February 2006 – Mudslides in the Philippines
Prolonged heavy rain followed by a minor earthquake caused a series of mudslides in the province of Southern Leyte in the Philippines. Hundreds of people were killed, including almost all the children and staff of a village school.
October 2005 – Earthquake in Pakistan
An earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale in Pakistan-administered Kashmir killed more than 90,000 people – mostly in remote mountainous areas.