COVID-19 Response in Southern Africa, Kenya, and Nigeria Fund

Even as the COVID-19 pandemic has brought daily life to a standstill, in many parts of the world, armed conflict and other situations of violence continue, exacting a heavy toll on vulnerable communities. For people already living with volatile security conditions and/or dealing with the impact of climate change, the spread of the virus poses an additional threat to their lives. Without consistent access to running water, sanitation, medical services and inability to keep physical distance, these communities are at great risk. ICRC delegations in Africa have stepped up their responses to the global crisis, integrating COVID-19 as an important new parameter in their operations. They are shifting their gears to help prevent or slow down the spread of infection and mitigate other risks arising from the pandemic in many of the places where they operate across Africa. These places include hospitals and clinics damaged by fighting or in areas where hostilities are ongoing; places of detention and camps for internally displaced people or refugees, where social distancing is impossible and access to water and soap is not guaranteed; and hard-to-reach areas, which are often beyond the reach of other aid organizations. ICRC's teams are also fighting to prevent the spread of this disease by supporting vital health care centers and providing crucial items such as soap and masks. For example, ICRC programs seek to build people’s resilience to the pandemic by providing food assistance and support to agriculture, in order to combat hunger, malnutrition and the risks of starvation. These activities aim to help people to meet their basic needs with dignity, help strengthen their resilience, and ensure the delivery of basic services. They constitute the foundation of the ICRC’s COVID-19 response today and will be essential to helping communities emerge from this crisis. Your support will go towards helping 3 of the ICRCs Delegations in South Africa (for the southern Africa region), Kenya and Nigeria with their COVID-19 response, where millions of lives have been impacted. No donation is too little to have an impact on someone’s life – Thank you! The Cisco Foundation will match eligible donations up to $25,000 per employee as part of your annual matching limit. Note on Tax Deductibility: This fund may include organizations based in the US, and in other countries. US employees who make a credit card donation will receive a receipt for tax deductibility for the portion of the donation contributed to US organizations. Employees outside the US will not be able to receive a receipt for tax deductibility for credit card donations to organizations in this fund.