The Humanitarian Effort is one of three immediate focus areas for the disbursement of funds donated by South Africans to the Solidarity Fund.

To provide accelerated aid for South Africa’s most vulnerable households and communities during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Humanitarian Effort will focus on promoting human welfare through augmenting the efforts of government and business to enhance the households’ ability to cope through the pandemic – through sustaining access to food, care and other interventions to alleviate the impacts of economic disruption.

To achieve this, the Solidarity Fund is continuously engaging with multiple civil society groups and government partners to understand where the country’s most pressing needs are for intervention. This is bolstered through analysis and assessment.

Food

The Fund’s first Humanitarian disbursement, announced on 18 April 2020, took the form of a R120 million donation to provide emergency food relief to over 250 000 distressed households across South Africa.

The food parcels, which will provide a family with food essentials for a two to four weeks (depending on the size of the household), will be delivered during the lockdown period as emergency food relief for vulnerable households experiencing severe food insecurity. This short-term, immediate relief intervention will allow time for the more systemic government grant solutions to take effect/come on stream.

The Fund, which is an independent organisation, seeks to augment existing civil society and government efforts. Distribution of the parcels will be done through a range of partners to optimise national coverage and impact, as shown below:

• 25% through the Department of Social Development’s 235 Community Nutrition and Development Centres (CNDCs)
• 50% through large national food distribution non-profit organisations that have expansive reach across the country
  • Food Forward South Africa
  • Afrika Tikkun
  • Islamic Relief
  • Lunchbox Fund
• 25% through a range of community-based organisations and faith-based organisations at provincial and local level. These include, but are not limited to, the South African Council of Churches, C-19 People’s Coalition, Hope Africa, Community Chest, SA Youth Movement, Rural Democracy Trust, Inqaba Yokulinda, and Hlanganisa, among others. A full list of partners will be published shortly.

Food relief is being provided through food parcels and vouchers.

Disclaimer: The Solidarity Fund’s focus is on identifying health and humanitarian risks and to coordinate activities or fund initiatives that augment and support the work of government and other social partners. The Fund does not accept unsolicited grant applications or provide direct relief to individuals or organisations.