Stanchart donates US$1m
TINASHE MAKICHI
Standard Chartered Bank Zimbabwe (Stanchart) has donated US$1m to the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and Oxfam programmes which provide emergency relief to communities impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.
About US$500,000 has been donated to the IRC to provide healthcare supplies, infection prevention and control measures, and risk communication to communities while US$508,000 has been donated to Oxfam for the provision of emergency food aid to vulnerable communities.
“Standard Chartered in Zimbabwe is proud to be able to contribute to the IRC and Oxfam programmes that reach the most vulnerable people in our communities. By working with these organisations, we are able to support the delivery of rapid and effective emergency relief that aims to address some of the key challenges created by the Covid-19 pandemic, ”Stanchart chairman Lovemore Manatsa said.
“Nearly a year on from the beginning of the global Covid-19 pandemic, Zimbabwe is battling a spike in Covid-19 cases and deaths, fears of a new variant, and the devastation that tropical Cyclone Eloise has caused in recent weeks to Covid-19 mitigation and containment measures.
This ‘triple threat’ is endangering the lives of Zimbabwe’s population.
“The IRC in Zimbabwe is working not only to prevent and respond to the spread of coronavirus within vulnerable communities, but to meet our clients’ other immediate needs.
Critical support from partners like Standard Chartered enables the IRC to continue its lifesaving work and ensure the safety of our staff, ” International Rescue Committee country director Zvidzai Maburutse said.
These donations are part of Standard Chartered PLC’s support for Covid-19 emergency relief activities in Asia and Africa as part of its USD50m Covid-19 Global Charitable, set up in 2020.
Oxfam country director Mirjam van Dorssen said the partnership with Stanchart has enabled Oxfam to fight hunger among vulnerable Zimbabweans who have been affected by droughts and the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We are proud to be in this partnership with Standard Chartered Bank as it has enabled us to fight hunger among vulnerable Zimbabweans who have been affected by droughts and the Covid-19 pandemic.
Ensuring access to food is a key aspect of the support provided by SCB as the project provides poor communities with the power to buy food on a need basis and decrease vulnerability to future shocks.
“We applaud Standard Chartered Bank for joining efforts with Oxfam to address the impact of drought and Covid-19 in Zimbabwe. The pandemic has shown how humanity is interconnected – I believe that when different parties come together to address humanitarian needs, we can make a tremendous difference for people in need,” van Dorssen said.
