Corporate Support Aids India Earthquake Survivors; U.S. Fund for UNICEF Collecting Donations to Help Relief Efforts.

Business Editors

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 12, 2001

The U.S. Fund for UNICEF announced today that it has received initial corporate commitments in excess of $750,000 from major U.S. corporations and their employees, which will be used to help victims suffering from the disastrous earthquake in India.

Among the corporations that have donated funds are Nortel Networks (NYSE:NT), the GE Fund and Newman's Own/Paul Newman. UNICEF is committed to providing at least $12 million to fund immediate emergency relief efforts and deliver shelter, medicine and water to survivors of the earthquake.

"We gratefully acknowledge the generous donations made by these corporations and their employees to help provide emergency aid to victims of the earthquake," said Charles J. Lyons, President of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. "These donations will help us quickly deliver medicine, water and shelter to families who are in such desperate need of assistance at this time."

Many corporations such as Nortel Networks, GE (NYSE:GE), Adobe Systems (NasdaqNM:ADBE) and 3Com (Nasdaq:COMS) have also rallied their employees to contribute to this crisis and make a significant difference in helping to provide urgently needed relief in India. These funds will be directed to providing medicines, medical supplies, water, shelter, basic human requirements and family survival kits, which include cooking utensils, blankets, clothing, oral rehydration salts to fight diarrhea, chlorine tablets to purify water, soap, candles and kerosene lanterns.

According to UNICEF, as many as 5 million children under the age of 14 may have been affected in some way, including nearly 2.5 million who have been severely affected -- children who have lost family members, homes, schools and their sense of security. These children live in areas where the quake damaged or destroyed at least 60% of structures. In addition, according to a UNICEF field assessment and preliminary figures from the state government, some 15,000 primary schools -- half of all those in the state of Gujarat -- have been damaged or destroyed, affecting millions of children.

"Our employees have shown a tremendous desire to help the people of India through this disaster. By partnering with UNICEF we have responded swiftly and hope to have a significant impact," said Clarence Chandran, Nortel Networks Chief Operating Officer.

"By channeling our corporate and employee contributions through the U.S. Fund for UNICEF's website, we hope to quickly help children and families in desperate situations."

UNICEF's relief program for the next 12 weeks has an emphasis on family survival, restoration of basic health services and provision of safe water. Additional priorities include reestablishing education and providing trauma-counseling programs for children who have suffered extraordinary losses of family, friends, homes and schools. The U.S. Fund for UNICEF will continue fundraising indefinitely to provide long-term relief to the children and families.

To find out more information about how your corporation can get involved, please call Nichole Brown at [phone] or call [phone] and ask for Corporate Partnerships and Alliances. To find out more information about how to help victims of the India earthquake, please visit the U.S. Fund for UNICEF's web site at www.unicefusa.org.