The coronavirus crisis has highlighted how truly interconnected we are. Slowing and stopping the spread of COVID-19 continues to demand decisive and collective action from everyone – no one individual, community or country can deal with this challenge alone. All of us: governments, healthcare staff, essential workers and the wider public have to play our part in saving lives.

‘The COVID -19 pandemic is not only a health crisis but also a human rights crisis, widening the justice gap.’ Hina Jilani Co-Chair Taskforce on Justice, Member of the Elders.

For the members of the Coalition of Aid and Development Agencies in Northern Ireland (CADA NI), the people we work with are some of the most vulnerable in the world – and stand to be the worst affected as they face this deadly virus without access to healthcare or hygiene infrastructure or with enough money to get by. Existing injustice and inequality is being exacerbated by this crisis, affecting everyone. However, the poorest and most vulnerable are disproportionately impacted, and to survive they need our help.

CADA NI members have relied on the generosity and support of the people of Northern Ireland to enable their life-changing and life-saving work for decades – and that is more important now than ever.

The Chair of CADA NI Peter Anderson, Head of Region for Concern Worldwide UK, stated:

“Our members’ ability to raise vital funds throughout this crisis has been severely negatively impacted. In order to play our part in preventing the spread of the virus, fundraising has been scaled back or suspended while members’ charity shops have had to close their doors. Events and annual initiatives have been cancelled, as well as all of the opportunities to engage with the public and our supporters face-to-face. While continuing to carry out their vital work, members have also looked at ways to cut costs during this time to ensure the sustainability of their organisations beyond COVID-19 – for some, that means temporarily ceasing to operate.”

That is why we are asking for Northern Irish politicians to lobby the UK government for the creation of a ‘Resilience Package’, for our 18 members and for NGOs, including:

• Amending the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to allow charities ‘furloughed employees’ to work while employers can still avail of the wage subsidy.
• Ring-fence funding to help bridge the loss of income for Northern Ireland’s non-governmental organisations.
• An increase in the rate of Gift Aid charities can claim on donations from taxpayers to 50 per cent, from April 2020 until April 2021.

It has never been more important to show global solidarity in the face of a pandemic that knows no borders and threatens the lives and livelihoods of us all.

Poorer countries do not have adequate health and hygiene infrastructure to deal with the rapid spread of this deadly disease – and in emergency situations where conflict continues to rage or forced displacement means millions of people live in cramped and overcrowded refugee settlements, practicing social distancing and life-saving hygiene practices is difficult, if not impossible. For those already more vulnerable – people with disabilities, the elderly, women and girls – COVID-19 is even more devastating. Developing countries will also be hardest hit by the economic fallout of coronavirus where existing inequalities are already at play and hundreds of thousands more people will be pushed into poverty and destitution.

At CADA NI, we remain profoundly grateful to the public for their ongoing support. In the face of this global threat, we are appealing to people to continue to stand with and support the vital work of Northern Ireland’s aid agencies, ensuring communities across the world can not only survive COVID-19 but rebuild better, brighter futures afterwards.

Peter Anderson
CADA NI Chair

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