The Open Society Foundations has announced additional commitments totaling $70 million in support of emergency relief for vulnerable communities impacted by COVID-19 and efforts to push back against growing government encroachment on political freedoms.
The funding will support work by foundation partners in Africa, Asia, Eurasia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Middle East and North Africa and is in addition to the more than $130 million Open Society pledged in April to address the impacts of the coronavirus.
The commitments include support for organizations working to assist communities and groups hardest hit by the virus, including refugees, domestic and care workers, and others left behind by inadequate government measures in response to the pandemic. The funds also will help strengthen humanitarian responses in countries from El Salvador to Myanmar, support credible reporting on the crisis by independent media in local languages, and promote access to accurate public health and community safety information.
“COVID-19 continues to ravage countries around the world, hitting hardest in communities with the least resources as a result of prolonged and entrenched inequities,” said Open Society Foundations president Patrick Gaspard. “Too often, governments are slow to act in this pandemic, to protect those who need it most, and this pattern of inaction is long-standing. We see the terrible toll this virus has taken and are redoubling our efforts to help the global community adapt and to seize this moment for change.”
