STAR India Rallies Bollywood Stars for Nepal Earthquake Relief
In partnership with the nonprofit CARE India, STAR has launched Ek Padosi Hi Padosi Ke Kaam Aata Hai ("A Neighbor Can Help Another Neighbor"), a national PSA campaign to mobilize relief efforts for the earthquake that struck Nepal and parts of northern India on April 25. The campaign consists of short video messages from some of Bollywood's biggest stars, calling for donations to CARE India's disaster relief work.
"A tragedy has struck our neighboring country resulting in a devastating loss of life, infrastructure, and resources. We believe it is our responsibility to leverage the power of television as a force for good to help mobilize relief and provide immediate life-saving assistance to those affected," said STAR India CEO Uday Shankar. "We... are extremely humbled to see that our initiative has been embraced by some of the leading lights of the entertainment industry to appeal for relief."
Bollywood stars Ranbir Kapoor, Karan Johar, Anushka Sharma, and Preity Zinta, as well as some of the STAR network's most recognizable personalities, have all recorded PSAs, which will air across STAR's 40-plus channels. Viewers can make donations online or via bank transfers. The campaign will work alongside Operation Maitri, the relief effort initiated by the Indian government.
The donations will be channeled directly to CARE India, part of the CARE International Confederation, which works in 87 countries. CARE India has been working in the country for more than 60 years, focusing on ending poverty and social injustice. The organization has already begun relief operations in some of the areas affected by the earthquake and hopes to reach out to more than 50,000 people in the coming days.
"We would appeal to all Indians for funds to ramp up the emergency response and provide immediate life-saving assistance to those affected," said CARE India Board Chair Dr. Nachiket Mor. "We are thankful to STAR India for helping us raise funds for Nepal where millions are awaiting humanitarian relief. The country is running out of food, water, and shelter and the onus is now on us to help them."
The 7.8 magnitude earthquake is considered the worst to hit the region in 80 years, and the latest reports indicate that the death toll has crossed the 5,500 mark, with thousands more injured. The earthquake has affected Nepal, as well as the Indian states of Bihar, West Bengal, and Uttar Pradesh.
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