Emergency assistance

2017: Famine in Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen

In Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen in 2017, more than 22 million children were threatened by conflict, illness and drought. And with many subsistence farming families forced to flee from violence, more than 1.4 million children were at risk of losing their lives through famine. With our €100,000 donation, UNICEF was able to continue its vital work providing treatments and vaccines, expanding access to safe water and sanitation, and delivering mobile health and nutrition services.

2017: Hurricane in the Caribbean

In 2017, Hurricane Irma ravaged the Caribbean, leaving a trail of destruction and thousands of people homeless. The Fondation L’Oréal donated €100,000 to help the Red Cross deliver first aid in the French territories of Saint Martin, Saint Barthélemy and Guadeloupe. The NGO also created a base to coordinate emergency relief efforts, delivered essential supplies, helped to re-establish telecommunications and took action to help families stay together.

2020: Covid-19

The 2020 Covid-19 pandemic created unprecedented challenges for communities worldwide. To help the most vulnerable gain access to support and face the consequences of the pandemic, the Fondation L’Oréal donated €1 million in France, and €100,000 respectively to both Italy and Spain non-profit organisations. In France, for example, we directed these funds to partner associations to help them support vulnerable communities safely and effectively. These included existing partners such as Emmaüs Solidarité, Le Samu Social de Paris, Le Secours Populaire or Banlieues Santé. Our support enabled these organisations to maintain and adapt their activities to the circumstances, protecting their staff, volunteers and beneficiaries. In particular, our donation helped to fund protective equipment, emergency shelter and much-needed food as costs rose amid strained economic conditions. We also provided our partners with hygiene kits (including shower gel and shampoo) and hand-sanitising gel throughout the year. 

2018: Wildfires in Greece

The Fondation L'Oréal donated €250,000 to the Red Cross in Greece for the most vulnerable victims of the 2018 wildfires, helping 617 families to re-establish their lives. 

2018: Earthquakes and tsunamis in Indonesia

In Indonesia, in 2018, earthquakes and tsunamis wreaked devastation on the islands of Lombok and Sulawesi, killing nearly 2,500 people, displacing more than 505,000 and damaging more than 140,000 homes and destroying water distribution networks. By donating €50,000 to charity Habitat for Humanity, the Fondation L’Oréal supported critical work to provide immediate shelter and access to safe water for some 400 families and help people build stronger homes and more resilient communities. 

2020: Explosions in Lebanon

In July 2020, explosions rocked the Lebanese city of Beirut, destroying whole neighbourhoods, leaving some 6,500 people injured, and intensifying pressure on health services already overwhelmed by the Covid-19 pandemic. The Fondation L’Oréal donated €100,000 to UNICEF in support of medical and humanitarian relief efforts, and important work to reunite children with families, provide counselling services, and promote distance learning.