DUBAI: Throughout the Middle East and the world, social enterprises have been among the first to respond to the significant challenges posed by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
In Tunisia, the Banque Alimentaire Durable dispensed food aid to needy families during the month of Ramadan and beyond, while in Lebanon, the non-governmental organization Abaad fielded nearly twice as many calls on its domestic abuse helpline in the first four months of the year than it did over the whole of 2019.
This ability to deliver emergency relief to areas underserved by governments and the market could see investment in social enterprises remain relatively steady and perhaps even grow, a June survey by New York-based Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN) revealed.