ActionAid Ireland makes €500,000 available for coronavirus response in Africa and Asia
Sabin Shrestha/ActionAid Nepal
Supporters from Ireland are playing a huge role responding to coronavirus crisis
Thanks to generous supporters hailing from every county in Ireland, ActionAid Ireland has today directed €500,000 euro towards lifesaving Covid-19 responses in communities across Africa and Asia.
Siobhán McGee, CEO of ActionAid Ireland stated, “Millions of children face an uncertain future as Covid-19 becomes a global pandemic. ActionAid’s child sponsorship programme is playing a vital role.”
From 1st May 2020, ActionAid Ireland supporters’ monthly gifts are being put to work in the fight against Covid-19. The move came in response to the growing need for Covid-19 prevention measures in communities where ActionAid works.
McGee continued, “Life-saving activities are already underway, led by the communities themselves, including supplying soap, translating information on hygiene into local languages, raising awareness of hand hygiene, and distributing food parcels to households who are unable to earn their daily living because of lockdowns.”
Thanks to the powerful support of the Irish public, the communities where ActionAid works with are able to respond to and prevent Covid-19 the best way they can.
In Nepal, ActionAid is supporting parents who are out of work as a result of the Covid-19 lockdown. Anjana, pictured above, is an agricultural worker who has been out of work for over a month. ActionAid distributed food packages and Covid-19 prevention kits to the family. Her children Reshma (8 years, pictured) and Mansu (5 years, pictured) are former sponsored children.
Praising the generosity of their donors from Ireland, McGee concluded:
“Supporters from Ireland are playing a huge role responding to coronavirus crisis, I am really proud of what we are achieving together. Right now, we are on the ground making a real difference in preventing the spread of the virus. This is only possible because of generous support by thousands of people in Ireland – we owe them a debt of gratitude.”
ENDS
Sarah Jane (Communications with ActionAid) is available for further comment on 0877659550
