ATHENS – Τhe National Bank of Greece opened a relief account for the victims of the wildfires in Attica this week, through the bank’s crowdfunding platform act4Greece.

General Manager of Retail Banking of National Bank of Greece Mrs. Nelli Tzakou talked to The National Herald about the new bank’s initiative to help needy people who are victims of the recent wildfires.

Mrs. Tzakou stated:

During the previous couple of days, fast-moving wildfires near Athens have killed over 80 people and have forced thousands of residents to flee in cars and buses, on foot, aboard boats and on makeshift rafts. In desperation, some people plunged into the Aegean waters and tried to swim to safety. Gale-force winds have fanned a pair of fires that tore through seaside areas, leaving behind a trail of charred homes, burned out cars and smoldering farms, while wrapping the region in a pall of smoke. Emergency services are stretched to capacity, as more than 600 firefighters and 250 fire engines were deployed to the sites of the two largest fires, in and around Rafina, about 20 miles east of Athens, and Kineta, about 30 miles west of the capital.

Many citizens have volunteered and many companies have provided support through various means. National Bank of Greece has traditionally been and should be in the forefront of the relief efforts. To that, we have opened an account to be used as a relief fund. The account will be part of a larger initiative to be registered with our crowdfunding platform act4Greece (acc 080/ 006855-14 (ΙΒΑΝ: GR6501100800000008000685514 / BIC: ETHNGRAA) , where every citizen can contribute.

The act4Greece program is a pioneering initiative for the promotion of social and developmental banking. An online platform enables the gathering of resources from anyone interested, wherever they may be in the world. The resources are then directed to specific projects undertaken by implementing bodies.

The amount raised will be used to provide immediate medical assistance, as well as food and shelter to those in need. Furthermore within the next year it will be used to reconstruct critical infrastructure such as public schools, hospitals, elderly homes, as well as reconstruct the damaged ecosystem of the area. To that we are already in close cooperation with the relevant municipalities.