Call for Donations to Fight COVID-19 in the Global South

At the beginning of 2020, an unexpected COVID-19 ravaged the world, forcing people to be truly aware of the importance and urgency of a community of shared future. Globally, as of 10 May, there have been more than 4 million confirmed cases in over 208 countries and regions.

Recently, the pandemic outbreak is not only worsening in some of the developed countries in Europe and America, but also accelerating fast in developing countries in Africa and Asia, arousing concerns from WHO and the international community.

Therefore, whether the pandemic could be contained, it depends to a large extent on how populous developing countries with relatively fragile health systems handle it.

At present, the COVID-19 pandemic control situations in developing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America are quite grave. Many developing countries have a large population and relatively insufficient medical supplies, thus are likely to be confronted with devastated disaster once the pandemic outbreaks.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of WHO said that the novel coronavirus has spread to rural areas in Africa, causing cluster transmission and community transmission in more than 16 countries. The already overloaded health care system will be challenged with more serious difficulties, especially in rural areas.

In the face of the pandemic, no country can develop or solve problems solely on its own. We should follow the vision of a community of shared future for mankind, and work with those countries and regions with insufficient medical resources to fight against the pandemic.

China has been an active promoter of South-South cooperation. The Finance Center for South-South Cooperation, together with Huobi Charity, Tai Cloud Corporation and Forum 30 on Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain, set up a charity donation campaign on the cross-border charity platform Bithelp.A number of blockchain enterprises such as Jubi are jointly involved.

Huobi Charity donates Huobi Token HT worth 71,000 USD, and at the same time plans to globally collect mainstream cryptocurrencies like HUSD、USDT and BTC . It is estimated that a total of 300,000 to 500,000 masks will be donated to countries and regions lacking medical supplies for the prevention and control of the virus in order to contribute to win the fight against the pandemic.

Initiators：

Huobi Charity, the charitable arm of Huobi Group, is aimed at creating a new eco-system of public welfare based on blockchain tech with the vision of “offering transparent information and thoughtful technology”. Huobi Charity has been committed to providing new solutions for traditional charity and making information transparent, open and traceable. At present, Huobi Charity has made great efforts to fight against the COVID-19 outbreak, including donation of supplies, offering on-spot support, and conducting multi-dimensional cooperation with a number of charity organizations and etc.

In Jan, 2020, Huobi Charity set up specialized fund of $1.4 million USD to source and donate medical supplies and protective gear to hospitals and healthcare institutes which were in need. Up till now, Huobi Charity has donated 1,000 oximeters, 2,000 infrared thermometers, over 53,000 protective suits, over 130,000 medical masks, 1.2 million pairs of medical gloves, 6,000 pairs of shoe covers, 15 tons of disinfection liquid, 8000 sets of anti-pandemic patrol equipment, almost 10 tons of medical alcohol, as well as some monetary donations directly to over 130 hospitals and community healthcare centers.

Finance Center for South-South Cooperation (FCSSC) is a non-profit international organization registered and founded in Hong Kong in April 2014. FCSSC has been in Special Consultative Status with ECOSOC of the United Nations.We are a comprehensive international hub for governments, international organizations and the private sector to promote and help achieve sustainable development in countries from the Global South. Our mission is to promote cooperation and partnerships among developing countries in economy, society, ecology, culture, and technology. Our efforts are focused on developing green industrial parks, serve as a think tank, enhance capacity building, incubate social initiatives and provide financial services.

Wu Zhong, director general of the financial center for South South cooperation, said: "the new coronavirus epidemic has become a global problem and needs to be addressed by all countries. It is a beneficial attempt and exploration to apply blockchain technology to international public welfare cooperation and supervision.