BENETTON GROUP BACKS AN INITIATIVE IN SUPPORT OF THE VICTIMS OF RANA PLAZA AND THEIR FAMILIES

On Wednesday, May 22 the Group agreed in principle to establish a partnership with the NGO BRAC to provide health assistance and financial support to those affected by the tragedy

Ponzano, 23 May 2013. Just days after signing the Fire and Building Safety Accord, Benetton Group commits to backing another initiative, this time directly supporting the survivors of the collapse of the Rana Plaza Building in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and their families. In order to ensure immediate and effective intervention, May 22 the Group agreed in principle to form a partnership with BRAC, an NGO that has provided assistance and healthcare for the victims of the tragedy from the outset.

“The events at Rana Plaza involve the entire textile sector, and everyone operating in this industry has a moral duty to support the victims' families. This is why we were determined to be in the front line in offering our support (pending government approval) through an NGO which, during these tragic weeks, has proven its ability to provide real help for the victims and for all those affected,” said Biagio Chiarolanza, Chief Executive Officer of Benetton Group.

Benetton Group's efforts are part of the actions organized by the NGO BRAC. “For the purposes of this partnership, Benetton Group will first of all provide immediate financial assistance for artificial limbs and surgery for those injured in the Rana Plaza collapse. In close collaboration with BRAC, we are also working on a long-term programme mainly focused on the families who have lost their only source of income due to this tragedy. This will involve various forms of assistance among which psychological support and training courses for survivors and workers.” Chiarolanza concluded.

Established in 1972, BRAC is the largest non-governmental organisation in the world working to support individuals and communities affected by poverty, illiteracy or social injustice. It provides help in various fields, from social and gender discrimination to education and from microcredit to human rights, employment and the environment reaching out to 126 million people worldwide. Born in a remote village of Bangladesh, where it still operates supporting local communities, BRAC is now spreading solutions to ten other countries around the world and was recently ranked number 1 NGO in the world by Global Journal for its impact, innovation and sustainability model. To ensure the effectiveness of its work, BRAC has put in place training, research and monitoring systems across all our activities and financial checks and balances in the form of audits.

In partnership with other companies, unions and the International Labour Organization, Benetton Group has already signed the Fire and Building Safety Accord, an initiative promoted by IndustriALL and UNI Global to ensure the safety of buildings where Bangladeshi textile workers operate. The Group continues to engage with associations and organizations to identify new channels through which to ensure its support reaches everyone affected.

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