Zain Group signs GSMA's Humanitarian Connectivity Charter

The Zain Group recently joined the GSM MoU Association (GSMA) Humanitarian Connectivity Charter.

The signing ceremony was held at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. Zain's commitment to the humanitarian connectivity initiative meshes with the telecom company's efforts to assist victims of disasters and improve the lives of its customers.

“Zain has and shall continue to work rigorously to improve the conditions of people in distressed or unfortunate situations,” Zain Group CEO Scott Gegenheimer said. “However, throughout history, (it) has been made abundantly clear that the pooling of efforts and resources often achieves more positive results than what can be done individually, and we are thus looking forward to contributing our efforts and resources under the charter.”

During disasters, Zain will coordinate with other mobile network operators (MNOs) to restore connectivity as quickly as possible in the affected areas. By standardizing procedures, preparedness and responses to emergency situations through the charter, Zain and the MNOs can develop a framework that also assists governments, the Red Crescent and World Health Organization (WHO) in planning and implementing effective contingency plans.

“We live and operate in a region where the cost of human suffering as a consequence of war and natural disaster is all too apparent,” Zain Group Head of Corporate Sustainability & Social Responsibility Jennifer Suleiman said. “Thus, it is not just our responsibility but our duty to band together and render whatever assistance is possible, particularly at times of extreme need -- and we are up to working closely with our peers to achieve this under the banner of the charter.”