News

Our COVID-19 Response

200,935 people supported in response to Covid-19 with emergency food and hygiene kits.

Since the beginning of the crisis, we have been working closely with our existing partners, suppliers and producers to monitor impact in our supply chain, understand challenges faced by communities and learn how we can better support them.

The Covid-19 pandemic has had a sudden and profound impact on lives and livelihoods of workers, farmers and their families in our supply chain. Not only do we have to adapt, but also respond to the most pressing challenges.

Since the beginning of the crisis, we have been working closely with our existing partners, suppliers and producers to monitor impact in our supply chain, understand challenges faced by communities and learn how we can better support them.

In many instances, our suppliers, producers and partners have been able to respond to the challenges. Our existing health and hygiene programmes have been refocused to answer the needs of communities facing the pandemic. In the most vulnerable communities, we provided additional emergency support.

• Distributed food to 8,000 families in eight tea gardens in Sri Lanka.

• Supplied hygiene kits to 8,000 households on tea estates in Assam and cardamom-growing villages in Guatemala.

• Equipped 13 community-level cardamom purchasing centres in Guatemala and three health centres in Malawi with handwashing stations and cleaning equipment.

• Supported 3,000 households in Malawi with awareness on Covid-19 prevention, and distributed vegetables and local seeds to boost their food supply.

• Provided reusable masks to 4,800 people in Kenya.

"Support from Twinings in response to the Covid-19 pandemic has enabled Mercy Corps to provide vital assistance to communities in Guatemala and India. Thanks to Twinings, we have been able to help communities prepare for and protect against this unprecedented crisis."

Michael McKean, Senior Director of Programmes, Funding and Operations, Mercy Corps.