Zain Group, a leading telecom services provider, has launched a marketing campaign to promote fund-raising activities in support of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNWRA).

The campaign that is funded by Zain Group, will aim to create awareness for the agency’s humanitarian work in the region in an effort to enlist financial support for the agency’s work in the areas of health and education for the benefit of Palestinian refugees.

This partnership is the first between the UN humanitarian organisation and a private sector company from the region.

The marketing campaign follows the announcement made on June 13 when the Zain Group and Zain Jordan signed two cooperative agreements with UNRWA to support and finance the agency’s largely under-funded health and educational projects for the roughly five million Palestinian refugees spread across the Middle East.

“We are proud to enter into a strategic partnership with UNRWA; we see a synergy of values and an ability for our group to lend a hand,” said Nabeel Bin Salameh, CEO of Zain Group.

“Our partnership with UNRWA is long term and this initial phase of our intervention aims to help create awareness for the agency’s mission in the region.”

Zain's customers in Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait and Sudan have the opportunity with a simple access number to support UNWRA’s humanitarian mission by donating money directly to the agency's various programs in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Gaza, and the West Bank by sending an SMS to their corresponding country’s specially assigned code.

All proceeds will be channeled directly to UNRWA, a statement said.

“We have been monitoring the good work UNRWA has been doing in our Levant region; we were also aware of the funding strains the agency is experiencing in raising funds to meet its humanitarian obligations,” said Dr Abdul Malek Al Jaber, CEO, Zain Jordan/Levant.

“We felt responsible and able to leverage our technology and market spread to provide some much needed support.”

The six-week SMS fund-raising and advertising campaign, consisting of specially made TV, print and billboard, and online advertising across the region, will promote UNRWA's universal humanitarian values and objectives on its 60th anniversary, showcasing the work the agency does and its impact on Palestinian Refugees.

The highlight of the campaign is a “reality” TV ad shot in Lebanon’s Bourj el-Barajneh refugee camp, capturing the real lives of Palestinians living in the area. In doing this Zain hopes to open the world’s eyes to the unenviable conditions in the camps, and encourage viewers to contribute to a better future for all Palestinian refugees. – TradeArabia News Service