QBE is providing $2.6 million to assist charity partners including Red Cross and Save the Children as they deal with a rising demand for services and decreases in donations during the coronavirus pandemic.

“At times like this it is vital that business steps up to assist,” CEO Pat Regan said today.

Some future funding will be brought forward and more flexibility introduced in the use of grants provided through the QBE Foundation to ensure charities have the resources needed.

Mr Regan says QBE has worked with charity partners around the world to identify opportunities for deploying funds immediately to support the COVID-19 response.

The allocations include $770,000 to Red Cross National Societies in Australia, the UK, Italy, the US and the Philippines, as well as $730,000 distributed to Save the Children in Australia, Pacific, Europe and Hong Kong.

Foodbank Australia and KidsCan NZ will receive funding to assist in providing food relief and a grant to the British Red Cross will support its work with the National Health Service, the vulnerable, elderly, refugees and asylum seekers.

A grant of $US100,000 ($157,000) will be made in North America in partnership with Village Capital, to explore emerging challenges to financial resilience, such as the lack of a social safety net for workers in the gig economy.

Other initiatives include helping the Philippine Business for Social Progress to support poor families impacted by the lockdown in Manila, and assisting Helping Beyond Social Services in providing food vouchers and hygiene kits to young people in public rental blocks in Singapore.