Demining action

26,000 mines removed through BLOM’s initiative with the Mine Action Center

August 3, 2011- BLOM Bank said that its “MasterCard Giving Program” has helped remove 26,000 mines across the country.

“‘BLOM MasterCard Giving’ cardholders assisted in the demining process by just owning or using their cards without bearing any extra cost,” the bank said. It said that the number of mines dropped from 425,000 to 399,000 in one year.

BLOM Bank launched the “BLOM MasterCard Affinity Card” in 2010 in a bid to financially assist the Lebanese Mine Action Center, a unit of the Lebanese Armed Forces. Donations are made whenever BLOM MasterCard Giving Affinity cardholders pay the card’s annual fee and whenever they use their card for purchases or for cash withdrawals at ATMs.

The program was awarded the Best Cause for 2010 in the MENA Cristal Awards.