JEDDAH: Ten African countries are to benefit from a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by Alwaleed Philanthropies and the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) to address the adverse repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The MoU aims to provide food assistance most notably to the elderly, people with disabilities, female victims of violence, orphans, refugees and medical patients in Niger, Senegal, Morocco, Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Nigeria, Sudan, Mauritania and Cote d’Ivoire.
The MoU stipulates that Alwaleed Philanthropies will provide over $2 million over one year, and aims to build local capacity to produce sanitizers and protective equipment such as face masks.
“We are proud of our partnership with ICESCO marked by many years of humanitarian initiatives to meet the urgent and long-term needs of the neediest categories around the globe,” said Princess Lamia bint Majed Al-Saud, secretary-general of Alwaleed Philanthropies.
“This initiative will empower women and young entrepreneurs by making them assume the principal role in the fight against coronavirus.”
ICESCO Director General Dr. Salim Al-Malik said Alwaleed Philanthropies founder Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal “has always been a champion for this noble cause.”
Al-Malik added: “We look forward to strengthening our collaboration with Alwaleed Philanthropies as an icon for others to follow.”
