One year on: BASF supports long-term aid projects for tsunami survivors

* €3.8 million donated by BASF and its employees
* Housing and educational projects funded in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand

12/20/05, One year after the tsunami devastated communities bordering the Indian Ocean, a disaster relief fund established by BASF employees – BASF-Katastrophenhilfe e.V. – is still supporting a number of medium and long-term aid projects in the region. Following the disaster in December 2004, BASF employees worldwide donated approximately €1.4 million. BASF doubled this amount to €2.8 million and also provided €1 million in immediate aid, bringing the total to €3.8 million. The funds are managed by an independent registered association, BASF-Katastrophenhilfe e.V., which also selects projects in close consultation with BASF companies in the affected countries.

The goal of BASF-Katastrophenhilfe e.V. is now to support medium and long-term projects with a sustainable impact on local communities. “The response by our employees was overwhelming. It is encouraging to see how the donations are now being turned into housing and educational facilities for the survivors of the disaster. Our employees in the region are playing a major part with their commitment,” said Dr. Andreas Kreimeyer, BASF board member responsible for the Asia Pacific region.

Funds provided by BASF-Katastrophenhilfe e.V. have been used to finance projects throughout the affected region:

* In Indonesia, €400,000 was provided to fund immediate aid projects such as refugee camps, food, school tents and medical care. Financial support of €1.1 million is being given to IndogermDirect for the construction of an orphanage with integrated school complex in Banda Aceh. The facility is scheduled to open in 2006.


* A housing complex in Mandane on the east coast of Sri Lanka is to be completed by April 2006. Here, BASF is providing about €700,000 to enable nearly 200 homes to be built on land provided by the government in a project carried out together with the organization Habitat for Humanity. In Galle, also in Sri Lanka, the construction of a fish market is being funded to help local fishing families found a new existence. The project, which is being conducted in association with UN-Habitat, the United Nations agency for human settlements, also involves a fish restaurant in which local people will receive professional training that will qualify them to work in the tourism industry.


* In India, a donation of €200,000 to the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) supported immediate relief efforts by the government. In addition, financial support of €120,000 to the HOPE foundation allows this NGO to purchase fully equipped fishing boats, thus restoring the livelihood of 90 affected families in a village in southern India. About €100,000 is also being spent to fund another project with UN-Habitat to establish a model community building.


* In Thailand, two school projects have benefited from financial support from BASF: €100,000 was provided to rebuild a school by the Thai Red Cross, and €150,000 was used to establish a school sports hall in Baan Thap Lamu in Phang Nga under the patronage of HRH Princess Maha Chakri Siridhorn.



“Our local employees played a major role in initiating projects, which were then recommended to us via our companies in the region. Wherever possible we have also tried to involve local suppliers and companies to realize the tsunami aid projects,” said Dr. Wolfgang Frosch, managing director of BASF’s disaster relief fund.

Contact Information

Gareth Rees

BASF

Contact via E-mail