Global Coronavirus Relief

Dear Friend,

We were reminded that this month marks one year since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 to be a pandemic. Since then, we have seen how inequalities, especially gender inequality and disparities in access to healthcare - vaccines, tests, and treatments, have played a role in increasing the spread of this devastating virus. 

In the midst of a tough year, we came together to support our community partners around the world. Thanks to your solidarity, we were able to respond immediately and support local activists to:

• Distribute over 70 handwashing stations and other hygiene and sanitation supplies in Somaliland to help stop the spread of coronavirus in vulnerable communities.
• Provide sewing machines to Rohingya women living in the refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, enabling them to make and sell masks to keep their community safe.
• Deliver soap to 5,000 families and provide vital health information to rural communities in Cambodia in partnership with women leaders from previous disaster management projects.  

The pandemic may seem like it’s coming to an end in the U.S., but in other parts of the world, the most vulnerable won’t see an end to its impacts for years to come. Already we know that some countries could be waiting until 2024 for widespread vaccination. Your support will help bridge the gap - and strengthen the fight for human rights.

Thank youforsupporting women on the frontlines of COVID-19. 

In gratitude,
Francis

Francis Noon
Individual Giving Officer, ActionAid USA

This year has been a challenge for us all. However, we have been able to address these challenges with the help of our international partners across the globe.

For example, ActionAid's confirmed direct reach in 19 countries in Africa is 1,052,785 people with an indirect reach of
10,611,751 people. The latter number includes widespread awareness raising activities such as radio and TV broadcasting, which enable us to share informtion about COVID-19 and how to prevent the spread to as many people as possible. In these countries, our response has included:

Unrestricted and Multipurpose Cash Transfers to help families meet their immediate
needs, and to community collectives to have the resources needed to combat the
pandemic, reaching more than 13,000 people (DRC, Ghana, Liberia, Malawi, Senegal).

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) activities, including handwashing stations
and facilities in public areas, such as markets and hospitals, and distributing soap and
hygiene kits to more than 182,607 people (Burundi, DRC, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya,
Liberia, Malawi, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Somaliland, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe).

Food support including the distribution of food kits, containing essentials such as oil,
sugar, maize, salt, mealie meal, beans, tuna fish, etc. depending on the local context,
reaching more than 88,877 people (Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal,
Somaliland, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe)

Awareness raising of the COVID-19 virus, transmission, how to protect yourself and
others and symptoms via radio stations, TV, local print media, and social media,
indirectly reaching more than 7,078,067 people (DRC, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria,
Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somaliland, South Africa).

In the Americas, we are working with local partners and women’s groups in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala and Haiti. To-date we have reached 2,060,370 people. Our work has included:

Hygiene kits & Disinfection kits
Sensitisation kits (radio, boombox, memory card, solar panel)
Food kits and food vouchers
GBV trainings
Psychosocial support and psychosocial care
COVID-19 prevention such as disinfection kits
Cash transfer support helping people meet their immediate needs.

As 2020 comes to a close, our work in addressing COVID-19 continues.  Thank you so much for your commitment. It makes a world of difference.