ZONG’s free phone allows flood victims to call for help

ZONG – the fastest growing network of the country has given free handsets, SIMs & EDGE Dongles to International Organization for Migration (IOM) to provide free phone service to flood victims to get vital information, seek help and access relief services offered by the government and other aid agencies.
IOM is using these handsets and SIMs to establish free calling booths at the relief camps in flood affected areas of the country. On its part ZONG will not be
charging these calls, in flood affected areas so that people can get in touch with their families in other parts of the country.
Each phone has a pre-paid SIM card with 800 free minutes a day for at least two months. Collectively, the hundred phones can make slightly over a million calls.
Expressing his views Salman Wassay, Head of Marketing, ZONG said, “We understand that our country has been struck by an unprecedented calamity and it is our duty as a caring corporate citizen to help our brethren in this hour of need. We will do our utmost to provide relief to the flood affected people of Pakistan in whatever way we can.”
ZONG has also given a free group SMS package to IOM which they will use to disseminate information to the flood affectees using the database that is maintained by them.
IOM is the leading inter-governmental organization in the field of migration and works closely with governmental, inter-governmental and non-governmental partners. IOM has agreed to coordinate the Emergency Shelter Cluster of relief agencies responding to the worst floods that have hit Pakistan in its history, following a request from the UN Humanitarian Coordinator.