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generous nation SUPPORT OF IRISH PEOPLE HELPED TRÓCAIRE TO ASSIST 2.7 MILLION PEOPLE IN 25 COUNTRIES LAST YEAR BY DAVID O'HARE
Trócaire
has thanked the people of Ireland, particularly parishioners and clergy across the country, for their essential support, which helped the charity assist 2.7 million people in 25 of the poorest countries across the world last year. The figures were released recently in Trócaire's Annual Report, which showed that the aid agency raised €73 million in 2020/21 during one of the toughest years in living memory due to the global outbreak of COVID-19. The money came from both the public and from institutional donors, including Irish Aid. The report details an increase of 15 per cent on funds raised from the previous year, with the total being the highest income raised in three years. Of the 2.7 million people the organisation supported in 2020/2021, 2.1 million received humanitarian support, while over 600,000
REALITY SEPTEMBER 2021
were supported through Trócaire's longterm development work. This work includes agricultural support, women's empowerment projects and support for human rights defenders. In 2020, Irish Aid contributed €22 million to Trócaire's work. As a result of this funding, Trócaire was able to reach 426,383 individuals with support to mitigate the risks of COVID-19, including secondary impacts such as food insecurity and violence against women. COVID MASK-MAKING PROJECT Twenty-three-year-old Wubit Abelo in Ethiopia is among those who received support. She was supported through a Covid mask-making project with local Trócaire partner Timret Lehiwoh. When coronavirus reached Ethiopia, Wubit began to despair. Access to basic household items was reduced, transport shut down, and the
