Press releases

On August 8, O2 Foundation announced a special emergency collection among O2 employees to help victims of the catastrophic floods in North Bohemia. To date, 1,296 employees of Telefónica have donated CZK 711,853, which the company has increased by 100% for a total of CZK 1.423,706. This makes it among the biggest corporate donors to send their proceeds to People in Need.

"The public as well as the several companies that have contributed to the SOS Floods collection deserve a special thanks. With its donation, Telefónica Czech Republic is one of our biggest corporate donors. We especially appreciate the approach its employees took towards offering voluntary assistance," says Tomáš Vyhnálek from People in Need.

"We're happy to cooperate with People in Need so that we may help those affected by this year's destructive floods. Thanks especially to our employees, who voluntarily contributed to the collection, and without whom the total would not have been so extraordinarily high,"says Jiří Šuchman,Director of External Relations, Telefónica, and a member of the Supervisory Board of the O2 Foundation.

During the initial weeks after the floods, People in Need sent aid amounting to 3.5 million crowns to flood-stricken villages. Packages were sent to flooded areas in Liberec (Frýdlantsko, Hrádek nad Nisou, Chrastava) and Děčín (Benešov nad Ploučnicí, Česká Kamenice, Srbská Kamenice, Rumburk, Varndsdorf). These packages consisted primarily of tools for mud removal, wheelbarrows, galoshes and rubber gloves, bleach, first-aid materials, and drinkable water.

The floods damaged at least 2,500 homes, and many of the residents now find themselves in a desperate situation. Over the following weeks and months, People in Need will help the most adversely affected families with repairing their homes. Just like in the past, it will contribute to the reconstruction of their homes and the renovation of the interiors. The largest portion of the donations to the SOS Flood collection will be used to help specific families.

During last year's floods, Telefónica and its employees donated one million crowns, which was used in the region of Životice u Nového Jičína to build new homes for families whose homes had to be demolished after the floods.

Telefónica is also doing its best to accommodate the needs of customers who have been affected by the floods. Special programs and services have been prepared for victims of this natural disaster, offering them immediate solutions to this ongoing situation and enabling them to continue to communicate with friends, family, and essential services. More information.