New Delhi (NVI): UNICEF has joined hands with GRAB, a multinational ride-hailing company based in Singapore, to provide personal protective equipment (PPE) and health supplies for frontline health workers battling the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as providing handwashing supplies to keep children safe in schools in East Asia.
The initiative covers four countries in the region: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand. In addition, GRAB users can make in-app donations that will help UNICEF purchase lifesaving supplies such as masks, gloves, soap, tents and gowns for ‘healthcare heroes’ and children returning to schools, which lack basic sanitation, the UN body said in a statement Wednesday.
Karin Hulshof, UNICEF’s Regional Director for East Asia and Pacific said, “COVID-19 is a threat to people everywhere. The virus has not impacted everyone equally. The oldest, the poorest, and the youngest have been the hardest hit by the pandemic. Without additional investment in children and the support of partners like Grab, we risk losing achievements that have seen ever more children survive and thrive.”
“Schools need to reopen safely as the longer children stay out of school, the less likely they are to return. Together we can make sure children and families recover, rebound and reimagine a stronger future. We must stop COVID-19 from becoming a lasting crisis for children,” she added.
According to the statement, Grab users can donate money via the GrabPay e-wallet or donate their Grab Rewards points to support UNICEF’s efforts to deliver essential supplies where they are needed most.
“The COVID-19 pandemic poses a test for our generation like none we have seen. Our users, driver and delivery-partners, and merchant-partners have all been impacted,” said Huey Tyng Ooi, Head of GrabPay.
“But we are also seeing increasing e-wallet usage due to safety and hygiene concerns around the use of cash. More and more people are going digital, and we are confident that many Grab users will be encouraged to support our vulnerable communities in ways that they can, either via e-wallet donations or their Rewards points,” Tyng Ooi added.
Since January, UNICEF has been working closely with governments in the region and its partners to stop the spread of COVID-19, keep children at the heart of its response and to mitigate the long-term impact of the pandemic on children.
The organization has provided public health information to people on how to protect themselves, particularly focusing on children, pregnant and breastfeeding women.
Apart from this, UNICEF has provided critical medical supplies, including masks and other personal protective equipment to health workers. It is also making sure that children and their families have access to safe water and sanitation services, and hygiene supplies.
In partnership with companies like Grab, it helps UNICEF to raise awareness about COVID-19 and its impact on children to the millions of Grab users in the region, and to generate much-needed funding, the statement read.
Globally, UNICEF is appealing for USD 1.6 billion to support its humanitarian response for children impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In East Asia and Pacific, UNICEF requires over USD 137.2 million to fund its response.
The initiative is part of UNICEF’s #Reimagine global campaign to task the global community to #Reimagine a better world for children post COVID-19.
