In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, cities members of the Coalition of Arab Cities against Racism, Discrimination, Xenophobia and Intolerance stood in solidarity with the most vulnerable. UNESCO Cairo Office supported these endeavours by producing a pamphlet on “the role of local authorities in responding to COVID 19 outbreak: leaving no one behind”. The pamphlet was inspired by the Toolkit for Urban Inclusion in Arab Cities, published in 2019 by the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Sciences in the Arab States and the European Training and Research Center for Human Rights and Democracy in cooperation with cities members of the Coalition. This confirms the Toolkit as a reference guide "by Arab cities, to Arab cities", presenting policy models and hands-on guidance that city officials can also benefit from in times of crisis.
UNESCO Cairo also collected and disseminated some of these city success stories. For example, the municipality of Sidon (Saida), south of Lebanon, proactively established a Covid-19 pandemic “crisis committee” that includes all non-governmental organizations active in the city. The Committee helped identify and implement actions on the ground, including the establishment of a Hotline to communicate with all its inhabitants. The Municipality mobilized its police to raise awareness of inhabitants to stay home. It worked also to facilitate safe access to supermarkets where people flocked to stock up on food, and supported social distancing efforts. Support was also provided to local textile workshops to enable them to switch to the production of masks and medical uniforms. Coordination with surrounding municipalities was a key measure for success to keep track of the evolving situation in south Lebanon.
Rabat, the capital city of Morocco, benefited from national decisions issued by the Ministry of Interior allowing mayors to expedite procedures for the procurement of medical and other health-related supplies to respond quickly to the evolving Covid-19 pandemic. The City was also very active in raising the awareness of its inhabitants regarding precautionary measures of protection to counter the spread of the virus, including hygiene and social distancing measures. The City put at the service of its inhabitants the expertise of mental health professionals through providing hotlines to talk to specialists free of charge. It is worthwhile to note that Morocco witnessed a strong movement of solidarity from the private sector with the people. Several companies offered free internet access to online education sites, financially supported poor families, and put its private health facilities at the service of the Ministry of Health.
In Byblos (Jbeil), north of Lebanon, the municipality supported individuals who are self-isolating in their homes, by helping deliver their groceries and other essential items. The municipality police deliver items in sanitized vehicles, in all confidentiality and free of charge. The municipality is engaged in the distribution of food rations to families in need, with the financial support of the private sector. The campaign targets in particular workers who have lost their income due to Covid-19 related closures. The municipality is financially supporting individuals who need to take the Covid-19 test by covering the cost of the test up to a certain ceiling and facilitating the test to be taken from home. It is also facilitating access of city inhabitants to mental health experts free of charge.
The municipality of Essaouira in Morocco, co-lead city of the Arab Coalition, took a series of measures in solidarity with the most vulnerable of its population. For example, the municipality put its sport facilities at the service of its inhabitants, equipping these facilities to host homeless individuals, who are then provided with food and other essentials. It mobilized its vehicles to transport patients that need to receive frequent out-patient care, given the interruption in public transport services. The municipality also established home services to the elderly that need to extract civil documents.
These exceptional services, among others, were possible through a Covid-19 emergency fund that the municipality established by diverting part of its budget in addition to donations including from municipality civil servants.
In Alexandria, north Egypt, the governorate mobilized a group of volunteers, training them on how to prepare sanitizing solutions and carry out sanitation operations for the coronavirus in various areas of the governorate. Moreover, the governorate helped establish a special fund, and is overseeing its operation, to support daily-wage workers who have lost their income due to the pandemic.