In Karachi on April 10, 2023, the number one home appliance brand in Pakistan is Dawlance, a fully owned subsidiary of Arçelik, the second-largest manufacturer in Europe. The parent corporation is headquartered in Turkiye, which was devastated by the world’s deadliest earthquake (7.8 magnitudes) on February 6, 2023, killing over 50.000 people there. Dawlance has therefore committed to offering aid and demonstrating its sympathy with the kind Islamic country by kindly funding Arçelik’s earthquake recovery effort.
In order to assist those affected by the earthquake, Koç Holding, the largest conglomerate in Turkey and owner of Arçelik and Dawlance, has also established a Crisis Coordination Center. Arçelik established a “Search & Rescue Team” right away after the earthquake, saving 20 valuable lives of locals trapped in the wreckage and collapsed structures. In order to provide essential humanitarian aid throughout these regions, the business also created relief facilities in Hatay, Adyaman, and Kahramanmaraş.
According to the Turkiye government’s prioritized need list and rules, this creative project for the reconstruction of impacted areas has already distributed 800,000 relief goods, including food, clothing, blankets, tents, solar panels, and generators. Arçelik has produced and distributed room heaters, stoves, and refrigerators for the cold chain necessary for the secure distribution of medications using old washing machine drums. The impacted neighborhoods have also received hygiene trucks to provide laundry services and kitchen trucks to deliver hot meals. A container city is being built in the area under the direction of Koç Holding, Arçelik, and other group firms to address the longer-term housing needs of those who lost their homes in the earthquake. Moreover, a call center is opening to create a livelihood for the people of the region.
The Chief Executive Officer of Dawlance – Umar Ahsan Khan stated that: “We are deeply saddened by the national disaster impacting millions of lives in Turkiye. This tragedy has inspired us to join Arçelik’s efforts for overcoming the crisis. We understand that the process of rehabilitation will be a long and challenging one, but we are committed to extending every possible support to our brethren.”
Arçelik Chief Commercial Officer of South Asia Can Dinçer expressed his gratitude to Dawlance for joining the rehabilitation initiatives and said: “The people of Turkey will never forget the compassion shown by our Pakistani brethren, to help us survive the tremendous challenges after the earthquake and resume our journey towards progress. All employees of Arçelik are thankful to the Dawlance family, for extending invaluable support, to lift our spirits during the most difficult days of our nation.”
These great acts by Arçelik and Dawlance must serve as an example for the inventive corporate and industrial sectors of Pakistan, Turkey, and other friendly nations. The lives of the Turkish people will be greatly improved by such generous initiatives from socially conscious businesses and altruistic individuals around the world, giving them hope for a better future.
