CORONAVIRUS: EU Solidarity with Russian people in need

13.05.2020

Moscow

Today, the Delegation of the European Union to the Russian Federation announces a special EU solidarity program of over €7 million for Russia. It will provide direct support to people most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in Russia – the elderly, women and children, people with disabilities, migrants, and other marginalized and vulnerable groups. The EU solidarity program foresees two main strands of action: short-term assistance to address the most pressing needs, and long-term support to help people recover from the coronavirus crisis and generate income in disadvantaged communities.

In response to immediate needs arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, the EU Delegation to Russia provides grants (up to €60,000 each) to several civil society organisations (CSOs) in Russia. In particular, this allows the NGO Kovcheg to help people with disabilities, including delivering food baskets and protective items as well as support services in Kaliningrad. In addition to providing emergency accommodation, the NGOs Doctors to Children and ANNA Center are providing psychosocial and legal assistance remotely to women and children victims of domestic violence that is on the rise during lockdown. Agora International is providing legal assistance to victims of human rights violations related to the health crisis, and its hot lines have already assisted 3,500 people countrywide.

As of May 2020, the Charitable Foundation for Philanthropy Development CAF Russia will provide direct assistance to elderly people and adults with disabilities to help them weather the COVID-19 crisis and resume normal life after it, through a direct EU grant of €500,000. EU Member States will also contribute financially to the project, thus increasing the number of people that will receive help.

Furthermore, the “EU Solidarity with Russian Civil Society Programme: Protecting vulnerable people and those disproportionately affected by COVID-19” will offer €6 million in grants to civil society organisations, through a Call for Proposal. The financial support will enable CSOs to deliver help and support to elderly, women and children, people with disabilities, migrants, people belonging to minority communities, victims of domestic violence, prisoners, HIV-positive people, the homeless, and other marginalized and vulnerable groups. The EU will fund social services as well as initiatives that aim at increasing people’s income and employment opportunities in the regions through financial support, new skills, training courses, work practice and social entrepreneurship.

More information for CSOs to apply for project funding is available here.

For more information and media inquiries: Anastasia Zelenko, Press and Information section, EU Delegation to Russia, anastasia.zelenko@eeas.europa.eu