Idris Elba and his wife launch Covid-19 relief fund to fight global hunger and food crisis

Actor, filmmaker and humanitarian Idris Elba and his wife, actress, model and activist Sabrina Dhowre Elba, have launched a new global coronavirus relief fund on behalf of the UN’s International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) (www.IFAD.org) to prevent the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic triggering a global hunger and food crisis.

With US$40 million (R751,03 million) in seed money from IFAD, the multi-donor Covid-19 Rural Poor Stimulu Facility hopes to raise an additional $200 million (R3,75 billion) to lessen the impact on rural small farmers and producers so they continue to grow crops, maintain their businesses and have access to financial services and markets despite their countries going into lockdown.

The Facility is part of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ call for urgent and coordinated actions across the UN system in support of fighting the pandemic and addressing its socio-economic fallout.

Gilbert F Houngbo, President of IFAD, said there was a grave danger that the health crisis would morph into also becoming a “major food and hunger crisis”.“Our world is one world, and the impact of disease, climate change, poverty, hunger and inequality cannot be contained within a country or region. The ripple effects touch us all – but have an especially devastating impact on those already poor and hungry,” Houngbo said.

The Elbas visited IFAD-supported projects in rural Sierra Leone in December when they heard about rural communities who had been supported by IFAD during the Ebola epidemic.

Idris Elba said: “As long as the pandemic is still raging anywhere, it will pose a threat everywhere. IFAD needs more assistance to carry on the work that is desperately needed to keep food systems operating in rural areas if we are to come out of this crisis together and avoid needless hunger and suffering.”

According to IFAD food prices are in several countries affected by the pandemic and it is taking measures to make sure farmers can access seeds and store their produce and is working with governments to keep farmers’ transport routes open so they can reach markets.

Rural areas are home to almost 80% of the world's poorest people. Small farmers produce half of the food calories consumed in the world. — DDR