In response to the severity of the devastating famine across 10 countries in the African Sahel, The Coca-Cola Company and its Foundations today announced a combined donation of more than $10 million to support both an immediate humanitarian relief effort and future rebuilding and development assistance. The Coca-Cola Company and The Coca-Cola Foundation will contribute more than $1.2 million in cash and in-kind donations to immediate relief efforts that will be undertaken across affected countries, with an additional $9.6 million allocated to community resilience and strengthening programs within its continuing Replenish Africa Initiative (RAIN).
The initial $1.2 million emergency relief donation combines a $1 million cash donation composed of $500,000 contributed to CARE’s work in Somalia and $500,000 contributed to eight NGO organizations that have formed the Global Emergency Response Coalition to deliver aid across 10 countries where more than 20 million people are at risk of famine. In Somalia alone, more than 6.7 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance, of which more than 1.4 million are severely malnourished children. The remaining $200,000 will be donated through in-kind contributions by Coca-Cola and its bottling partners, providing water and other beverages, to those directly affected by the famine and drought, and supporting the awareness campaign of the coalition through local media.
The Coca-Cola Africa Foundation will direct Replenish Africa Initiative (RAIN) programs to famine and drought relief in five African countries which include new programs in Chad, Ethiopia, Sudan and Uganda, and an initiative already underway in Somaliland. In total, the five programs will support nearly 850,000 afflicted people in vulnerable communities and refugee populations with clean water, sanitation and training and programs designed to help empower women and youth with economic opportunities. It is anticipated that The Coca-Cola Africa Foundation’s $9.6 million investment in the program will be leveraged with more than $28 million in additional partner co-financing.
“As a business that has been part of the fabric of Africa for almost 90 years, we are firmly committed to supporting both the long-term prosperity of the continent and also helping to address severe short-term challenges that communities face,” said Brian Smith, President, Coca-Cola Europe, Middle East and Africa. “Like many, we are deeply saddened by the escalation of famine and drought throughout the African Sahel and we embrace the responsibility of the private sector to play a meaningful role alongside NGOs and governments in supporting the 20 million people at risk. We hope that our donations can help continue the good work that aid organizations have underway while enabling communities to emerge strong and resilient from this crisis through the latest expansion of our flagship RAIN initiative.”
“We are witnessing what the UN calls the largest humanitarian crisis since 1945, and now is a critical moment for millions of people facing extreme hunger and malnutrition,” said Michelle Nunn, president, and CEO of CARE. “The generous support of the Coca-Cola Company will help CARE and our Global Emergency Response Coalition partners alleviate that suffering and, in many cases, save lives.”
The Coca-Cola Africa Foundation (TCCAF) first introduced the Replenish Africa Initiative (RAIN) in 2009 in response to the severe water challenges faced by nearly 300 million Africans living without access to clean water. By the end of 2020, TCCAF and its partners will measurably transform 6 million Africans’ lives through water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH); economically empower up to 250,000 women and youth; promote health and hygiene in thousands of communities, schools, and health centers; and return up to 18.5 billion liters of water to nature and communities.
Organizations forming the Global Emergency Response Coalition include CARE, International Medical Corps, International Rescue Committee, Mercy Corps, Oxfam, Plan International, Save the Children and World Vision.
