Ride-hailing app Careem has announced its collaboration with UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), in a mission to support and raise awareness for programs to benefit refugees, asylum seekers and the stateless as well as returnee and internally displaced persons in the MENA region.
Careem, which recently expanded to over 50 cities in the region, will be launching a “UNHCR” car type that will allow users to choose to support refugees. The option will provide a simple and easy way for users to actively help raise awareness and donations towards the growing refugee crisis, by simply commuting on a daily basis.
Mudassir Sheikha, CEO and Founder, Careem said
“Careem, which means to be generous in Arabic, was born with a simple purpose of simplifying and improving the lives of people.”
“From the region and for the region, this initiative comes, not in response to the growing public debate, but instead at a critical milestone in the ever-growing Syria & Iraq displacement crises which is nearing 9M internally displaced persons (IDPs) and over 5M Syrian and Iraqi refugees. As a responsible corporate citizen, Careem will work closely with UNHCR to help alleviate the situation and improve the lives of our community,” he added
The “UNHCR” car type will be launched at the end of February and will be a Careem Economy or GO car, with pre-determined contributions (20 PKR tentatively) to be donated for every completed trip, until the end of May, 2017.
The “UNHCR” car type will gradually be streamlined across the region to be available in all markets.