The Coca-Cola Company Contributes $200,000 to Mercy Corps’ Humanitarian Effort in Gaza

September 03, 2014

Donation will help increase access to clean water, food and other essential household supplies

Portland, Ore. — The Coca-Cola Company has donated $200,000 to the global humanitarian agency Mercy Corps to support the organization’s extensive relief efforts in the Gaza Strip. The largest private aid organization working in Gaza, Mercy Corps has already reached more than 210,000 civilians affected by the recent conflict. The agency is distributing food and hygiene kits, setting up portable water stations across the hardest-hit areas and providing psychosocial support to children.

“Throughout Gaza, civilians’ access to clean drinking water is severely limited, and tens of thousands of people still urgently need food and essential household items,” says Stu Willcuts, director of Mercy Corps’ Gaza humanitarian response. “Coca-Cola’s support will enable us to expand our effort to ensure families have what they need to survive the weeks ahead – be it clean water for drinking and cooking, food for their families or toothbrushes, soap and disposable diapers.”

“Coca-Cola is pleased to support Mercy Corps’ humanitarian relief work in Gaza and specifically its efforts to provide access to clean drinking water to thousands of Palestinian civilians impacted by the recent violence,” says Ahmet Bozer, President of Coca-Cola International. “Coca-Cola cares deeply about the well-being of all of the communities in which it operates around the world, including the Palestinian communities. As we do everywhere we do business, we will continue our economic and social commitment to our Palestinian employees, Palestinian consumers and the Palestinian communities we serve.”

Coca-Cola began its Palestinian operations in 1998, and today is the third-largest employer and fifth largest investor in the region. The company plans to open a new bottling plant in Gaza in 2015, a $20 million investment which will create 120 direct jobs and support the livelihood of 1,200 households across its value chain.

Mercy Corps has worked in Gaza and the West Bank since the 1980s, focusing on emergency response and meeting people’s basic needs, as well as building long-term economic and community recovery.

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About Mercy Corps: Mercy Corps is a leading global humanitarian agency saving and improving lives in the world’s toughest places. With a network of experienced professionals in more than 40 countries, we partner with local communities to put bold ideas into action to help people recover, overcome hardship and build better lives.