Caritas published a statement on Tuesday morning confirming that an increased number of people contacted the humanitarian organisation to request financial help in the wake of coronavirus. The majority of requests came from individuals who, before the crisis, mainly relied on occasional odd jobs or temporary work. According to Caritas, these people can no longer make ends meet due to the current restrictive measures.
The organisation explained that the majority of the applicants were unable to cover rent and bills. They still had enough funds to purchase food. A minority had no resources at all to fall back on. While all industries are represented among those in need of assistance, the majority come from construction, catering or temporary work.
Caritas is able to provide emergency financial assistance in conjunction with social care offered by local municipalities, helping struggling individuals to pay for housing and to purchase food from social grocery shops. However, the organisation has warned there is a risk of even more people falling below the poverty line as the health crisis continues to unfold. It is likely that more requests for help will pour in.
Marie-Josée Jacobs, president of Caritas Luxembourg, explained that in many of the cases, the people concerned had relied on savings to get them through the crisis, and were forced to contact Caritas when these were exhausted. Jacobs said Caritas were expecting to see more cases as companies struggled to keep employees over the next few months.
The Caritas coronavirus helpline is 402131 – 999 or they can be reached via email athelpline@caritas.lu
