As part of our fight to make access to hygiene, wellness and nourishment a right and not a privilege, RB is pledging £1 million (USD 1.2M) to the International Rescue Committee’s (IRC) response to the COVID-19 pandemic, providing lifesaving programmes for the world’s most vulnerable communities.
Through our Fight for Access Fund, we will support:
- The IRC’s front-line COVID-19 response in refugee and vulnerable communities in Lebanon, Jordan and Syria; and
- The IRC’s Crisis Response Fund, a dedicated fund which supports emergency COVID-19 interventions across 40 countries.
During this unprecedented era, medical care, WASH and hygiene interventions, shelter and continuation of services for vulnerable communities are more critical than ever before. This funding will enable the IRC to reach approximately 13,000 people with vital health services in Jordan and Syria and economic recovery and child education and protection programmes in Lebanon; it will also support the IRC to rapidly detect, respond to and prevent further transmission of the disease in other countries where it operates.
In March, we launched our Fight for Access Fund which is, and will be, a demonstration of our commitment to protect, heal and nurture in the relentless pursuit of a cleaner, healthier world. To deliver on commitment we have:
- Set aside the equivalent of one per cent of adjusted operating profit each year to this Fund
- Committed over £40 million (USD 49M) to benefit communities consistent with our purpose
- Reinvested a further £10 million (USD 12M) of COVID-19 cost savings in support of local initiatives
Bart Meermans, SVP Health Africa/ Middle East / Turkey, RB, commented: “Access to high-quality hygiene should be available to all, particularly at this critical time. Improving access for the most vulnerable communities, and living our purpose, is why we created our Fight for Access Fund. Supporting the IRC’s lifesaving work on the frontline of the most pressing humanitarian disasters and healthcare emergencies is a clear demonstration of our purpose and fight in action.”
In the Middle East specifically, we have deployed the multiple initiatives; In Saudi Arabia, we have joined forces with the Health Endowment Fund – the strategic partner of Ministry of Health, to contribute USD 1M in products to help keep frontline health workers safe. Additionally, we have provided care packages to 15,000 frontline workers in hospitals. Dettol has also rolled out Labour Camp Education and Sanitization program across some of United Arab Emirates’ key labour camps - reaching 14,000 workers across 12 camps to provide them with free cleaning and sanitisation services as well as hygiene focused education programs.
