NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J.,
Nov. 17, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Johnson
& Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) today announced an expanded partnership
with Save the Children to support children impacted by the Syrian
refugee crisis and strengthen long-term resiliency in their
communities. The $1.75 million
commitment was announced in advance of Save the Children's third
annual Illumination Gala in New York
City.
"The distressing images of families caught in the global refugee
crisis highlight the importance of our ongoing commitment to Save
the Children," said Alex Gorsky,
Chairman and CEO of Johnson & Johnson. "We believe the mission
of our Company to help people everywhere live longer, healthier and
happier lives must begin with families in need, so we are proud to
partner in this effort."
Funding from Johnson & Johnson will be used to address
immediate humanitarian needs, including access to food and clean
water, safe shelter, hygiene resources and winter clothing. The
funding will also support the sustainable long-term recovery of
impacted communities. Central to this are resilience-building
activities, which include educational programing, mental health
support and community-building initiatives for the displaced
families.
Joaquin Duato, Worldwide
Chairman, Pharmaceuticals, Johnson & Johnson and member of the
Save the Children Board of Trustees, who will speak at the
Illumination Gala, said, "At Johnson & Johnson, we believe
companies should stand together with their communities in times of
greatest need. We are fortunate to have strong partners like Save
the Children to respond to the immediate challenges in Syria as well as creating a sustainable and
brighter future for those touched by this crisis."
According to the United Nations, over 12 million people are in
need of humanitarian support inside Syria, including 5.6 million children.
Additionally, more than 4 million people, mostly women and
children, have fled the often unsafe refugee camp environments to
find asylum in Europe and face
dangers such as drowning or violence on their journey. Children are
especially vulnerable in the camps and along the transit routes,
often arriving alone, leaving them at risk of trafficking, abuse
and exploitation.
"We are now seeing the greatest wave of refugees migrating
across Europe since World War II -
many of them young children," said Carolyn
Miles, President and CEO of Save the Children. "With the
support of generous partners like Johnson & Johnson, our
response teams in Greece,
Italy, Serbia and Germany have been able to provide urgently
needed supplies and shelter for parents seeking a better life for
their families. Johnson & Johnson's $1.75 million donation will provide for the
immediate needs of thousands of children on the run, as well as
recovery programs that can help them find hope again."
Today's commitment will expand on the previous investments from
the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies in Europe and the Middle East, as well as the Johnson &
Johnson Corporate Citizenship Trust. Over the last several years
Johnson & Johnson has been involved in multiple health
interventions in supporting the plight of Syrian refugees. This
work has included training pediatricians caring for refugees;
donations of blankets, hygiene products and trauma equipment; as
well as activating employee volunteers.
Last year, Johnson & Johnson announced a $10 million, multi-year commitment to support
Save the Children's core mission, program support to improve
newborn survival, local activation and gift-in-kind services. In
addition, Johnson & Johnson is the presenting sponsor of
tonight's Save the Children Illumination Gala and continues to
support Save the Children in non-monetary ways, including advocacy
and thought leadership, media awareness building, and employee
engagement.
About Johnson & Johnson
Caring for the world one person at a time inspires and unites the
people of Johnson & Johnson. We embrace research and science -
bringing innovative ideas, products and services to advance the
health and well-being of people. Our approximately 128,000
employees at more than 265 Johnson & Johnson operating
companies work with partners in health care to touch the lives of
over a billion people every day, throughout the world.
About the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson &
Johnson
At Janssen, we are dedicated to addressing and solving some of the
most important unmet medical needs of our time in infectious
diseases and vaccines, oncology, immunology, neuroscience, and
cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Driven by our commitment to
patients, we develop innovative products, services and health care
solutions to help people throughout the world.
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