Rihanna's Foundation Donates $5 Million to Aid Global Coronavirus Response
Rihanna‘s Clara Lionel Foundation has given $5 million to aid coronavirus prevention, preparation and response efforts in the United States and across the globe.
“CLF is supporting on-the-ground partners working on the frontlines of disaster response especially those focused on protecting and serving marginalized communities – helping the most vulnerable in the United States, the Caribbean and in Africa prepare for what is to come,” the foundation said in a statement.
“Never has it been more important or urgent to protect and prepare marginalized and underserved communities–those who will be hit hardest by this pandemic,” said Justine Lucas, Executive Director of the Clara Lionel Foundation.
The contribution will benefit Direct Relief, Partners In Health, Feeding America, the International Rescue Committee and World Health Organization’s COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund, among others.
In addition, Rihanna and the Clara Lionel Foundation hope to help local food banks serving at-risk communities and the elderly in the U.S, accelerate testing and care in countries like Haiti and Malawi, provide protective equipment for frontline health workers and diagnostic labs and bolster the development of vaccines and other therapies around the world.
The Fenty Beauty founder, 32, and her foundation are among the many lending help to their communities as the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to spread.
Ryan Reynolds announced that he and his wife Blake Lively would donate $1 million to two organizations representing food banks across the United States and Canada. Also, PEOPLE recently confirmed that Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos donated $1 million to the New York Governor’s Office for the purchase of urgently needed ventilators as well as to WIN, an organization running 11 women’s shelters across New York City.
The first cases of a mysterious respiratory illness — what is now known as COVID-2019, a form of coronavirus — began in Wuhan, China, in late December. Since then, the virus has spread worldwide, leading the World Health Organization to declare a public health emergency, the first since the zika epidemic in 2016.
As of March 21, there are at least 17,962 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the U.S. with at least 239 deaths. Meanwhile, worldwide, there are now 284,566 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 11,153 deaths.
As information about the coronavirus pandemic rapidly changes, PEOPLE is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, readers are encouraged to use online resources from CDC, WHO, and local public health departments and visit our coronavirus hub.
Solve the daily Crossword
