2023-Public-Sector-Perspectives

Haiti’s banking system remains operational, but due to a lack of fuel for generators and difficulties in moving cash around the country, many branches are closed and banks continue to operate on a limited schedule. Nevertheless, when international agencies make payments to staff and vendors, they can easily access those funds either via electronic forms of payment, such as credit or debit cards, or by withdrawing cash from ATMs at local banks, which are periodically refilled (depending on the availability of electricity/fuel and the security environment). Ukraine: Expediting banking services for humanitarian support Following the invasion of Ukraine by Russia in February 2022, there was an immediate need for humanitarian assistance, both in Ukraine, where there were around 6.5 million internally displaced people 3 and basic services such as electricity and water had been cut, and in neighboring countries, where people fled: 7.8 million individual refugees from Ukraine have been recorded across Europe. 4 3 https://www.unhcr.org/uk/ukraine-emergency.html 4 https://www.unhcr.org/uk/ukraine-emergency.html Corporate efforts to support Ukraine A number of global private sector companies have leveraged their core business operations and competencies to support humanitarian needs in Ukraine. • Airbnb.org worked with 40 organizations around the world to offer short-term housing in Germany, Poland, Denmark, Romania, Hungary and Canada for up to 100,000 refugees fleeing Ukraine. • Just 10 days after Russia invaded Ukraine, Amazon set up two humanitarian aid hubs in Poland and Slovakia to ship essential products, such as medical equipment and school supplies, to help refugees displaced by the war. • Citi donated $1m to Save the Children and the International Rescue Committee to help with the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. Citi maintained its presence in Ukraine in the aftermath of the invasion to provide support to its clients. While many staff were evacuated to Poland, some chose to remain to provide essential services and others have since returned. There has been no reduction in Citi’s balance sheet in Ukraine and a dialogue has been maintained with public sector clients throughout. • SpaceX provided Ukraine with Starlink satellite dishes for internet access, substituting for destroyed infrastructure and Russian restrictions on internet access. As many as 25,000 terminals have been supplied (many by SpaceX directly and others sponsored by agencies), helping humanitarian efforts as well as supporting the Ukrainian military. 8 Responding to Humanitarian Crises: Navigating Through Ongoing Uncertainty