COPENHAGEN, DK March 15 – Following powerful earthquakes and aftershocks, which continue to cause severe humanitarian and healthcare challenges in Turkey, William Demant Foundation has allocated DKK 1 million to support the people affected by the earthquake in the southeast of Turkey.
On February 6, 2023, a powerful earthquake and a series of strong tremors and aftershocks shattered southeast the Republic of Turkey and northwest Syria. Two weeks later, an additional earthquake hit southern Turkey and the death toll and overall damage is too large to fathom. Demant employees in Turkey have been reported unharmed but are all personally affected with the whole country in an emergency state.
Employees Support
To support those who are affected by the situation in the southeast of Turkey, William Demant Foundation has donated DKK 1 million (approx. UDS 150,000), allowing Demant Turkey to support the Turkish people.
The aim is to deliver and establish the hearing healthcare sector in the country and to supply humanitarian aid to closely related family members of Demant employees in the country.
The funds from the Foundation are managed locally by the Demant company in Turkey, who are close to the situation. The Turkish Compliance Team is highly involved to ensure that all donations are made for specific cases that meet the criteria and that documentation and pay-out are documented and controlled. Request and questions can be sent via this email address: afetdestek@demant.com.tr.
The donation will be used for:
- Individuals that have lost hearing aids due to the disaster
- Individuals that are in need of support for their hearing needs in locations where the existing structures are gone
- Establishment of new hearing care facilities where there are need for new or temporary facilities (i.e., building a temporary hearing clinic in a container)
- Equipment, such as diagnostic devices for the above-mentioned facilities
- Support for hearing care practitioners who need to re-establish their facilities because of the disaster
- Support for children in need of hearing care support to continue their education
- Support for close family members to Demant employees that have lost their daily lives or relatives to the disaster
People and Society
The Foundation ownership is a central part of Demant and it allows the company to allocate resources to people and society in the best possible way. William Demant Foundation has previously donated DKK 9 million (approx. USD 1.3 million) to international relief initiatives to support the humanitarian crisis in and outside of Ukraine. https://www.demant.com
