Binance gifts $1 million crypto donation to UNICEF’s Covid-19 vaccine rollout
Binance Charity has made the world’s first crypto donation to UNICEF’s role in the global COVID-19 vaccine rollout – the largest vaccine procurement and supply operation ever undertaken.
The $1 million crypto donation to the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund in Luxembourg will support the organisation’s role as the key delivery partner for the COVAX Facility, which aims to ensure global equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines.
As the first pillar of Binance Charity’s Post-COVID Recovery Plan, the funding will support UNICEF’s role in helping to deliver vaccines to communities in 11 countries by the end of 2021.
The countries targeted for the rollout are Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Egypt, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Ukraine and Brazil.
Binance’s donation comes only a day after Huobi donated $1m to UNICEF to assist with creating blockchain technology innovations.
As part of an ongoing partnership with UNICEF, Binance’s contribution could help cover all the costs of delivering more than 500,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines within low- and middle-income countries, including the costs of planning, transport, cold chain equipment and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
Huge donation
According to UNICEF’s executive director in Luxembourg – Sandra Visscher – the huge donation will help put the lives of children back on track after the disruption caused by the pandemic.
“Vaccines do not only save lives, but they contribute to a return to normal, including for the many millions of children whose lives have been upended by the pandemic,” she explained.
“UNICEF wants to ensure equitable access to vaccines for everyone, as the world will only be safe if everyone is safe.
“Since UNICEF is at the forefront of procuring and delivering vaccines, we can help to bring the pandemic under control so that we can start the work to build a better, safer, and healthier future for every child”.
By the end of 2021, UNICEF together with the COVAX Facility aims to make two billion vaccines available.
To date, in response to COVID-19, Binance Charity has raised around $5 million and donated two million units of Personal Protection Equipment (PPEs) to 26 struggling countries.
This $1 million crypto donation to UNICEF’s role in the COVAX Facility is a continuation of Binance Charity’s efforts toward an inclusive post-COVID recovery.
“The pandemic has destroyed local economies and shut down entire countries, all while claiming the lives of more than two million people worldwide,” said Helen Hai, Head of Binance Charity.
Social and economic issues
“The events of the past year have collectively brought on new social and economic issues.
“With this, it’s presented a clear role for the cryptocurrency community in being able to provide support through transparent global giving, to those who are most in need.
“The progress some countries have made in rolling out vaccines has been hugely impressive, but we want to make sure nobody is left behind. We’re proud to be supporting UNICEF in vaccine delivery, which will play a major role in getting everyone’s lives back.
“This partnership is in support of a world that ensures vaccines are readily available to all, so that we may end the pandemic together.”
Binance Charity, the philanthropic arm of Binance, the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchange platform, will support UNICEF with financial assistance and extend its blockchain infrastructure expertise.
The charity has committed to leveraging its crypto and blockchain ecosystem to support the COVID-19 vaccine logistic and financial transparency, allowing the public to track all the funding distributed to UNICEF through its issued Binance wallet.
In addition, Binance Charity has also announced that it will release a limited edition NFT issued on Binance Smart Chain (BSC) to raise public awareness and encourage more fundraising on vaccine equality.
Preparing for a post-COVID recovery, Binance Charity, along with industry-leading authorities, aims to target four pillars to ensure an effective recovery. These pillars will focus on improving vaccine equality, women empowerment, tackle MSME assistance and education.
Life-saving vaccines
As the largest single vaccine buyer in the world, UNICEF has a unique and longstanding expertise in procurement and logistics to help children in need. UNICEF not only procures more than two billion doses of vaccines annually for routine immunisation and outbreak response on behalf of nearly 100 countries, but has also helped reach more than 760 million children with life-saving vaccines over the last 20 years, preventing more than 13 million deaths.
COVAX, the initiative dedicated to the equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines globally, is an alliance between the World Health Organisation, The Vaccine Alliance (Gavi) and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPIand is the only global initiative working with governments and manufacturers to ensure rapid and equitable access to vaccines for all countries, regardless of income).
The aim of COVAX is to effectively end the pandemic together by sharing vaccines amongst all countries.
Through the COVAX Facility, UNICEF works with manufacturers and partners on the procurement of COVID-19 vaccine doses, as well as freight, logistics and storage. Additionally, UNICEF leads the procurement and delivery for 92 low- and lower middle-income countries while also supporting procurement for more than 97 upper-middle-income and high-income nations. Together, these represent more than four-fifths of the world’s population.