Humanitarian aid organisation, Mercy Corps, has expanded its partnership with the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth to support the well-being of Syrian refugees and those impacted by the latest tragedy in Lebanon.
According to a release on Monday, with funding from the Mastercard Impact Fund, Mercy Corps will provide critical information on the prevention and transmission of the Coronavirus Disease, distribute PPE kits and sanitising supplies to those in need, as well as provide personal hygiene kits to support the most vulnerable women and girls in the country.
“Many Syrian refugees tell us Mercy Corps was the first to make them aware of the dangers of the coronavirus pandemic,” says the Director of Programmes for Mercy Corps in Lebanon Jeffrey Shannon. “Since the devastating explosion in Beirut, we’ve seen a marked rise in the number of cases across the country, and we are proud to partner with Mastercard to support communities and control the spread of the disease.”
Mastercard and Mercy Corps will reach 12,000 Syrian refugees and 4,500 Lebanese host community members with COVID-19 prevention and mitigation measures, the firm stated.
Additionally, over 1,000 Syrian women and girls will receive basic hygiene kits and specialised gender-based violence information as the pandemic continues to unfold.
The partnership will also see Syrian refugees and Lebanese community mobilisers trained to better serve their communities by providing COVID-19 prevention and mitigation awareness, receiving a daily wage for their work and ultimately becoming more empowered to further grow their self-reliance.
“We are committed to being a force for good and bringing about progressive social and economic change within the communities in which we operate,” says the Country Manager, Lebanon & Levant, Mastercard, Ramzy Al Amary.
“Lebanon needs urgent help, and we want to use the scale, resources and influence of our business to make a positive impact on people’s lives and alleviate the burden of the recent tragedy and the pandemic.
“We’re grateful that our long-standing partnership with Mercy Corps has already touched the lives of thousands of people all over the world, and this is just another example of how our combined efforts can offer powerful and innovative ways to help those in need.”
Over the years, Mastercard has worked with several organisations to support refugees in the region, leveraging its technology and investing in solutions to offer them a dignified life.
