COVID-19 Relief Worldwide

Vulnerable Urban Communities Worldwide
Project type: COVID-19 Response
Collaborators: UN-Habitat
Region: Africa, Asia and Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, North America
Tags: accessibility, children and youth, economic opportunity, education and schools, innovation and technology, micro-interventions, multigenerational use, disaster recovery, public health, public safety and security, social inclusion and human rights, sports and recreation

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed all of our relationships with public spaces. While we’ve witnessed how critical shared spaces are to our mental and physical health, the lack of access in inner cities is disproportionately hurting the urban poor, which is threatening the economy, safety, and stability of cities worldwide.

Building Health and Safety, Block by Block

In 2020 our project committee, in close coordination with the UN-Habitat team, reallocated a percentage of our funding to support especially vulnerable cities across the globe in their fight against COVID-19. We prioritized communities and municipalities where we were already active to maximize our ability to help with pressing health, safety, and economic issues in light of the pandemic.

These worldwide relief projects in Mexico, Brazil, Ecuador, Vietnam, Niger, Kenya, India, Indonesia, and Bangladesh addressed a variety of pandemic-related challenges, from decongestion and sanitation to creating livelihood opportunities and raising public awareness.

Progress

The following small but significant interventions have helped support the reopening of cities in need, giving communities renewed confidence in their public realms, economically and socially.

Pop-Up Playgrounds for Kids in Hanoi

Livelihood Help for Street Vendors in Bangladesh

Imagination Kits for Children in São Paulo, Brazil

COVID Protection for Informal Settlements in Bhopal

Market Vendor Support in Kisumu, Kenya

Market Hygiene in Niamey, Niger

LGBTQI+ Safe Spaces in Quito, Ecuador

In addition, all active Block by Block projects can now direct 10% of their budgets to immediate COVID-19 response activities.

More Resources

Key Recommendations for Cities in a COVID-19 World

12 Key Principles for an Effective Urban Response during COVID-19