Save the Children is pleased to be entering into a partnership with insurer QBE, which will help the leading aid agency further boost its disaster preparedness and relief capabilities.
Save the Children and the Australian Red Cross will benefit equally from the ground-breaking three-year funding arrangement with the insurance company.
Save the Children CEO Paul Ronalds said the partnership was an important and a positive step as the aid sector, private sector and governments grappled with ways to address the increasing challenges posed by climate change.
“This is a reflection of the increasing challenges we face in addressing the growth in incidence and severity of disasters across the globe, and QBE is to be commended for it grasp of this situation,” Mr Ronalds said.
“At Save the Children we regularly deal with these challenges in our disaster relief and recovery work in Australia, across the Pacific and throughout Asia. We see the often devastating effect that these events have on communities, families and especially on children – all exacerbated by climate change.
“Critically, it is impossible to overstate the importance of disaster resilience and preparedness and it is therefore particularly pleasing that this partnership will support this important work.
“Empowering communities with the skills and knowledge to ensure the necessary resilience and preparation for disaster, in turn leads to much better recovery outcomes.”
QBE CEO Pat Regan said: “As an insurer, our immediate priority in the wake of disaster is the safety, wellbeing and ultimately recovery of our customers and the communities in which they live.
“We know that when disaster strikes, it’s vital that resources can be deployed quickly to support communities, both in the immediate response and to assist in the long-term recovery.
“Through these new, three-year partnerships we’re pleased to be able to support disaster recovery initiatives and enable the rapid deployment of vital resources, through two of the world’s most highly respected and trusted international disaster relief agencies - Save The Children and the Red Cross.”
Save the Children and QBE have previously collaborated in disaster response and recovery. QBE supported Save the Children’s humanitarian response in the aftermath of Cyclone Winston in Fiji and to the earthquake in Nepal, both in 2016.
ENDS
For media inquiries contact Licardo Prince on 0401 777 917 or on Licardo.prince@savethechildren.org.au