Why Global Citizens Should Care
The COVID-19 pandemic is holding back progress toward the UN's Global Goals and the mission to end extreme poverty — impacting health, gender equality, education, good nutrition, and more. The funding from One World: Together At Home has made an incredible impact, but there's more to be done. Join the movement to end the pandemic by taking action here to support our Recovery Plan for the World campaign.
One year on from One World: Together At Home, 100% of the $127.9 million pledged in funding has been disbursed, impacting the lives of millions of people throughout 2020 and into 2021.
An event for the world, by the world, the One World: Together At Home global broadcast and digital special on April 18, 2020, was a culmination of an international campaign led by Global Citizens, artists, world leaders, and more to urgently respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and protect vulnerable communities.
Global Citizens took more than 700,000 actions during the campaign, rapidly mobilizing $55.1 million for the World Health Organization’s COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund and $72.8 million to local and regional responders.
In March 2021, Global Citizen confirmed that 100% of funding from 26 commitments pledged toward more than 140 local and regional response organizations had been disbursed by global leaders to help communities survive during the pandemic.
In August 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) officially confirmed that it had received 100% of the $55.1 million in funding toward the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund, aiding the global delivery of PPE, medical teams, and emergency assistance to over 162 countries.
More than 140 International Organizations Receive COVID-19 Pandemic Aid
The impacts of the COVID-19 crisis have differed across regions and communities, often leaving rural and urban populations harder hit than others. More than 1 million families and millions of people have received emergency COVID-19 support as a result of funding disbursed to local and regional response organizations in the US and abroad.
Getting funding directly to organizations on the front lines of the pandemic is pivotal to ensuring communities at every level receive the resources they need most. These organizations are uniquely positioned to meet the regional and immediate needs of the communities they represent. From Cairo to New York, the scope of essential services provided by this funding has enabled organizations throughout 2020 and 2021 to lessen the impacts of poverty by providing millions of dollars in direct aid.
Over 12 months, organizations have provided 26.6 million meals, food packages, and direct food aid to international communities, and health insurance and rental assistance to 4,000 internationally based farmers and their families.
More than 230 families threatened by eviction due to COVID-19 have received rental assistance, and nearly 3,800 people have received essential clothing and toiletry boxes. In the US, more than 1,100 COVID-19 tests per day have helped homeless communities in Hawaii, and six locations across the Navajo Nation and White Mountain Apache territory have received COVID-19 testing facilities.
One year of weekly meal support has been provided for 35 families in the Netherlands, 780 food bags have been provided to families with children in Sweden, and more than 2 million meals have been distributed across Egypt.
The South African Red Cross Society (SARCS) has distributed 2,764 food parcels, as well as 478,142 hot meals to vulnerable communities in seven of South Africa’s nine provinces. Raks Thai Foundation has distributed over 1.2 million meals, ventilators to two hospitals, and health-insurance across Thailand, and FareShare has distributed over 472,000 free meals to those in need across the UK.
The funding has also helped to provide $400,000 in training for former hospitality workers in New Orleans to be contact tracers and community health workers, as well as grant support to build 30 million solar rooftops across the United States.
WHO Funding Provides COVID-19 Emergency Services to More Than 162 Countries
In August 2020, WHO confirmed it received 100% of the $55.1 million pledged toward the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund, powered by the United Nations Foundation and Swiss Philanthropy Foundation. To date, from all events and activities, the fund has raised more than $246 million from more than 664,403 individual donors, corporations, and foundations. This funding has helped to improve country preparedness and response, accelerate research and development, and coordinate across regions to assess, respond to, and mitigate risks across the globe.
The funding has enabled WHO to deliver hundreds of millions of pieces of PPE to more than 162 countries, including 191.3 million medical masks, 18.9 million respirators, 8.4 million face shields, 30.8 million gloves, 5.2 million gowns, and 1.4 million goggles.
This is in addition to 18.6 million PCR tests and 7.1 million sample collection kits that have been distributed to 162 countries during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2021, We Have a Chance to Make History
A true recovery from COVID-19 can only happen if everyone, everywhere has access to testing, treatments, and vaccines. Now, more than ever, the voices of Global Citizens matter. Eradicating extreme poverty requires international cooperation, solidarity, and a shared understanding in order to overcome the systems and beliefs that create it.
Global Citizen launched our year-long Recovery Plan for the World campaign in February as a roadmap to prosperity and recovery during and following the pandemic, prioritizing health, hunger, education, environment, and equity.
In 2021, we have a chance to make history. You can join us and take action now.
