Supporting rescue and recovery efforts in flood-stricken Libya

Unprecedented rainfall in Libya on September 10 caused the collapse of two major dams, sweeping away entire neighborhoods, with the cities of Derna, Benghazi and Tobruk among the worst affected. The deadliest Mediterranean cyclone in recorded history claimed more than 11,000 lives and displaced over 40,000 people across several districts.

At Mastercard, we have been closely following news of the devastating event. To help those in need, we will donate $200,000 to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to strengthen Libyan Red Crescent’s first aid response. The Red Crescent teams will manage the long-term recovery with a focus on vulnerable groups, including women, children, the elderly and the disabled. This donation is in addition to our annual $250,000 contribution to the organization’s global disaster response.     

We are also offering a 1:1 match for donations to the Red Cross and Care.org of $25 or more made through our MC Cares portal, up to an annual maximum of $15,000, and we have invited all our employees to contribute to those in need.

Beyond financial assistance, we are exploring ways to deploy our resources to help with emergency relief and long-term recovery. We are mobilizing the breadth of our assets in support of NGOs and their crisis response efforts to direct funding and humanitarian aid where it can have the greatest impact.