As a member of our humanitarian community, you know the need for lifesaving aid was great long before the new coronavirus arrived. But with COVID‑19, that need grows exponentially, day after day, particularly for communities already at risk from hunger, conflict and other crises.
It’s heartbreaking. We can’t ignore that, but we can choose how we show up. How we as individuals choose to take action today will reverberate around the world. If you’re able, I hope you’ll make an urgent gift to our COVID-19 Resilience Fund today. Our COVID-19 Resilience Fund helps support our ongoing worldwide efforts to respond to crises of all kinds, including those being made worse by the pandemic.
Thanks to our humanitarian community, here’s how we are already responding:
 |
Protect against outbreaks of COVID‑19. Mercy Corps is identifying and helping the most vulnerable people at risk of being devastated by an outbreak where they live.
For example, we’re providing clean water and soap to displaced families in northwest Syria, where crowding in the camps makes it especially difficult to prevent the spread of disease. In Pakistan, we’re providing medical teams with personal protective equipment (PPE) and information on how the public can reduce the spread.
|
 |
Meet immediate needs. As restrictions are placed on the daily interactions and trading that millions of people rely on to survive, Mercy Corps is supporting families and communities to meet their most urgent needs.
For instance, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, we’re providing small amounts of cash to 15,000 vulnerable families to purchase food, soap and health supplies. In Colombia, we’re going door to door to hand out cash cards and providing hygiene kits to help families prevent infection.
|
 |
Prepare for economic shock. Mercy Corps is drawing on decades of experience helping the most vulnerable communities anticipate and survive the economic shock that follows natural disasters and conflict—helping farmers, craftspeople and small business owners recover their livelihoods as quickly as possible.
We’re stepping up our work providing access to markets and financial services to small businesses, especially farmers who often operate on the smallest of margins even when the world isn’t mired in a global crisis.
|
We’re committed to helping as many people survive this crisis as we can. We also continue to address crises of all kinds, in more than 40 countries worldwide — supporting Venezuelan refugees in Colombia, people fleeing conflict in Syria and farmers whose crops have been destroyed by locusts in Kenya, Ethiopia and Uganda.
Our reach depends on how much support we receive from fellow humanitarians like you. Thank you for thinking of those seeking urgent relief today and communities in need of a more resilient tomorrow.
Sincerely,
Adrienne Karecki, Mercy Corps Chief Development and Marketing Officer
|
