APUA 3/2020

MARJAANA MALKAMÄKI JOHN BUNDI / KENYAN RED CROSS The Tampere branch of the Finnish Red Cross distri­ butes food aid twice a week. Before the pandemic, roughly 70–80 people visited the aid centre each day; now up to 380 people have been lined up for the aid all at once. “The proportion of pensioners and immigrants has remained the same, but families with children and young adults are among the new groups of customers,” says executive director Marjo Majlund from the Tampere branch of the Red Cross. A large share of the distributed food is unsold food from supermarkets. In the spring, the Red Cross also received large food donations from various companies. Large donations are a great relief, but one never knows when the next donation is coming. “The new wave of coronavirus would mean great chal­ lenges for us, because the lines weaving their way in the city centre are a safety risk from the point of view of both traffic and the spread of the virus. In addition to this, our biggest concern is whether we have enough food,” Marjo Majlund says. We could not distribute food aid without the help of our volunteers. “We work with excellent volunteers, and we work hard,” Marjo Majlund remarks. ● The Finnish Red Cross helps in the fight against the coronavirus Red Cross volunteers around the world provide information on the coronavirus in their communities, among other things. In addition to this, the Red Cross distributes hygiene products and builds hand washing stations. The coronavirus has a negative impact on the lives of people who are already vulnerable. That is why it is very important to continue the aid work that was started before the pandemic as well as the Red Cross basic health work. Measles, for example, could spread worse than coronavirus in many areas if vaccinations are not carried out. This year, the Finnish Red Cross is directing some of its development cooperation funds to health work to fight the coronavirus pandemic around the world. This is made possible with support from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, companies and donations to the disaster relief fund. ● The Red Cross distributes food aid across Finland The need for food aid has increased during the coronavirus pandemic. ”Our biggest concern is whether we have enough food”, says executive director Marjo Majlund. 11