Red Cross fundraiser to help people going hungry in Covid crisis

The Red Cross launched a fundraiser on Monday to provide food aid to the thousands of Netherlands residents going hungry during the coronavirus crisis. People who want to donate for this cause can do so at Giro 7244.

"We estimate that about 25 thousand people need food aid," Red Cross director Marieke van Schaik said to NOS. "These are people who lost their jobs, migrant workers, and people who have no papers and are therefore not eligible for the normal assistance.

"We have to ensure that they can put a minimal meal on the table for themselves and their families," Van Schaik said. "3.50 euros is needed to provide someone with breakfast or lunch and dinner, Nibud calculated."

In May, the Red Cross teamed up with the food banks to provide food aid to vulnerable people. The aid organization does not have enough money to keep this additional aid going, hence the fundraiser.

"We want to be able to guarantee aid for 3 thousand people a week until the end of this year. But we would prefer to expand it so that we can continue to do so after December," Van Schaik said. The group of people who need help is growing, and the Red Cross does not see that changing any time soon.