Companies dig deep for disaster relief

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Large gifts from corporates and foundations have helped the international aid charity Mercy Corps to expand its disaster relief work in Pakistan and Guatemala.

For operations in Pakistan, where more than 70,000 died in the October earthquake, Boeing has contributed $1million (£580,000), and the Intel Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation have donated $500,000 each. The Starbucks Foundation has given $250,000 for relief in Guatemala, where one estimate put Hurricane Stan's death toll at more than 2000.
In Pakistan the donations will help the charity's efforts to shelter homeless people from the imminent winter. In both disaster areas the funds will help to equip mobile medical units in remote locations.

Peter Blomquist, Mercy Corps' vice-president for constituency development, said: 'Our corporate and foundation partnerships are playing a crucial role in our relief efforts during this unprecedented year when we are responding simultaneously to so many disasters.'