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Add to Preferred SourcesMillions of dollars’ worth of emergency assistance to more than 20 at-risk countries have been released by Islamic Relief in a bid to stem the spread of the deadly coronavirus, help those infected and support vulnerable communities that have been the hardest hit.
Thousands of hygiene kits containing essentials like hand sanitiser, surgical masks and thermometers have already been delivered to high-risk communities in places like Syria and Afghanistan where vital health infrastructure has crumbled due to conflict.
In the coming week, more critical assistance such as ventilators, lab kits and portable x-ray machines will also be delivered to countries like Pakistan where many lack access to decent medical care. For those who have lost their jobs and sources of income in low and middle-income countries with no social safety nets, cash support will likewise be provided to allow them to purchase basics like food and medicine.
At the same time, large awareness-raising campaigns will be launched to inform people about how the virus is spread and how to protect themselves by adopting good hygiene practices and suitable social distancing measures when possible.
“The world has not faced a threat like this in our lifetime and it is imperative that we take swift action on multiple fronts to stop the spread of the disease and lessen the impact of the most vulnerable communities that risk being completely devastated by this,” said Naser Haghamed, the CEO of Islamic Relief Worldwide, the world’s largest Muslim-faith inspired aid agency working in more than 40 countries around the globe.
“Through the generosity of our partners and supporters, I am proud to say that the Islamic Relief family has already released over $5m USD in emergency funding for vulnerable communities, which often have no defences against the disease.”
The funding is part of a wider pledge to deliver up to $10 million USD in support in the upcoming period, earmarked for tackling various aspects of the corona crisis.
Along with its own response to this emergency, Islamic Relief is seeking to integrate it within a multi-lateral approach and is working at global and local level with UN agencies including WHO, UNICEF, UNHCR, WFP as well as local governments to support their health responses
With the virus impacting rich and poor countries alike, Islamic Relief’s support will be split between poorer countries that are not equipped to cope and those where for now the coronavirus has claimed the most lives and infected the most people.
“From equipping isolation wards in Yemen, to providing hygiene kits to homeless shelters in Canada, we’re doing what we can to support the many at-risk communities with which we work.”
The scale of the crisis, however, is truly unprecedented and much more will need to be done if we are to overcome and endure. To fight this virus, the world needs to deploy all the tools in its arsenal.
Original source: Islamic Relief
Published on 03 April 2020