Western Union Business Solutions, the international payments specialist, is now an official partner of the Disasters Emergency Committee's Rapid Response Network.
The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) brings together 13 leading UK aid agencies to raise money at times of humanitarian crisis in poorer countries. By working together, Western Union's B2B unit and the DEC can raise money quickly and effectively to save lives and rebuild communities. The DEC calls upon the Rapid Response Network (RRN) when a disaster occurs to support its fundraising appeals.
Through the partnership with Western Union Business Solutions the 13 charity members of DEC will have access to make international payment transfers with subsidized feesi for a fixed period of time after an appeal has been madeii. The international transfers are being made via a specialized NGO payment platform, WU® NGO GlobalPay, which enables registered users to send funds internationally within minutesiii
"We are, through this partnership, continuing to support and help the lives of millions of people worldwide. This new alliance with the DEC provides global charities with more than just a money transfer service, we are a partner in times of need, offering specialist advice and operational support when the world needs us most. Western Union is committed to helping disaster relief operations on the ground, during times of crisis by enabling charities to get the funds they vitally need," said Hikmet Ersek, President and CEO, Western Union.
Western Union's business function will be creating a dedicated disaster relief team to provide DEC member agencies with expert advice and operational support throughout each appeal. As a part of the partnership WUBS will also engage with the DEC to conduct research about how SMEs in disaster hit regions could be better supported to help local economies.
Saleh Saeed OBE, Chief Executive of the DEC said:"Our appeals simply couldn't happen without the support of our RRN partners and we are delighted to have Western Union Business Solutions on board. By working together with our member agencies, DEC raises funds for emergency appeals and ensures that funds reach member agencies quickly and securely so that they can deliver vital humanitarian support where it is most needed. When a disaster occurs, the basic infrastructure is often adversely affected and this can make international payments extremely difficult. Western Union Business Solutions has the experience and expertise in delivering funds in remote areas and we look forward to partnering with them."
WUBS will provide support during the early days of the disaster appeal and it will work with the DEC to extend the reach of the appeal through its own marketing and PR resources. It will promote the appeal to its clients to seek contributions and promote the campaign on its digital and social media channels.
i Other costs and expenses relating to the exchange rate and or other services are not included in this offer and still may be charged
ii The fee-free transfers are offered for a fixed period of six weeks from the start of the appeal.
iiiFunds availability subject to terms and conditions of service
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 September 30, 2016, 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, and included the capability to send money to billions of accounts. In 2015, The Western Union Company completed 262 million consumer-to-consumer transactions worldwide, moving $82 billion of principal between consumers, and 508 million business payments. For more information, visit www.westernunion.com.
About Western Union Business Solutions
Western Union Business Solutions enables companies of all sizes to send and receive international payments and manage global cash flow, creating unique solutions tailored to suit their individual needs. It is a business unit of The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU), a leading nonbank provider of cross border payments, which offers Business Solutions services in over 30 countries. Clients are supported by a network of trading offices, strategic banking relationships and a global clearing network and can send cross-border foreign exchange payments in more than 130 currencies.
About DEC
The DEC Disasters Emergency Committee brings together 13 leading UK aid agencies to raise money at times of humanitarian crisis in poorer countries. By working together we can raise more money to save lives and rebuild shattered communities. www.dec.org.uk
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Contacts:
Western Union Business Solutions
Liesl Smith
Director, Global Corporate Communications
Phone: +44 (0)208 563 6347
Mobile: +44 (0) 7710 185864
Liesl.smith@westernunion.com