Over 30,000 Soccer Fans Support the Fight Against Ebola at 12th Annual Match Against Poverty

United Nations Development Programme team led by Goodwill Ambassadors Ronaldo and Zinédine Zidane competed against French Saint Etienne All Stars with final score 7-9

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) mobilized its team of top football players today to compete against a Saint Etienne All Stars, in France’s Ligue 1 club to raise both funds for and awareness to help West African nations recover from the Ebola virus crisis.

Two thirds of the match proceeds will be used for recovery efforts in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone where more than 20,000 people have lost their lives to the deadly disease.

However, death and suffering are only part of the crisis. The outbreak has caused a widespread socio-economic crisis of unprecedented proportion, with a real risk that economic and social gains achieved in the three countries could be halted or even reversed.

UNDP is leading the United Nations response on Ebola recovery and is coordinating early recovery actions in the three countries.

Speaking at the match, Gina Casar, UNDP Associate Administrator and second in command of the organization, said: "The international community must now stay the course and continue support for the three most-affected countries as they recover from this devastating crisis."

"We must get to zero patients, stay at zero and at the same time help the countries build back better", she added.

The first edition of the UNDP Match Against Poverty was held in Basel in 2003. Since then, the match has taken place in Madrid, Dusseldorf, Marseille, Malaga, Fes, Lisbon, Athens, Hamburg and Porto Alegre, Brazil. Each match, which is televised around the world, has supported specific projects in different countries facing difficult challenges.

Although a friendly match, the players competed as if it were a World Cup playoff, ending with 7 goals for the team of all-stars from UNDP, and the Saint Etienne All Stars winning with 9 goals.

For more information contact:

Aziyadé Poltier-Mutal

Mobile: + 41 79 349 16 10

Tel: + 41 22 917 83 68

aziyade.poltier@undp.org

20 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics is www.aroundtherings.com, for subscribers only

Recents Articles

Paris 2024, the Games with 12 billion interactions, 11,000 live hours and automatic replays

After the inauguration of an Artificial Intelligence Olympic Agenda that seeks to empower athletes, the competition and the public, the IOC's Director of Marketing and Digital Engagement, Leandro Larrosa, explains how the links between AI and networks will transform the imminent Olympic experience.

París 2024, los Juegos de las 12 billones de interacciones, 11 mil horas en vivo y repeticiones automáticas

Luego de la inauguración de una Agenda Olímpica de Inteligencia Artificial que busca empoderar a los atletas, la competencia y al público, el director de Marketing y Compromiso Digital del COI, Leandro Larrosa, expone cómo los vínculos entre la IA y las redes transformarán la inminente experiencia olímpica.

Bach: “There will be six to eight Palestinian athletes in Paris”

The top president reported that the IOC will grant invitations if no other athlete manages to qualify; the Arab nation has two guaranteed places, only one achieved since the beginning of the war.

Bach: “Habrá entre seis y ocho atletas palestinos en París”

El máximo mandatario informó que el COI concederá invitaciones si ningún otro atleta consigue clasificarse; la nación árabe tiene dos plazas aseguradas, solo una conseguida desde el inicio de la guerra.

Security in Paris 2024: the “anti-terrorist perimeter” was extended for the opening ceremony

Three months after the parade on the Seine River and hours after the arrest of a 16-year-old teenager, the Paris police established new security measures and stated: “The terrorist threat remains very high, even if there is no concrete threat.”

TOPICS