'Communities of colour are suffering': Beyoncé joins forces with Twitter CEO to donate £4.9m towards coronavirus relief effort

Singer made donation through her BEYGood Foundation

Beyoncé has donated £4.9m to help those most in need during the coronavirus pandemic.

On Thursday, the Grammy winner announced that her BEYGood foundation was partnering with Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey’s Start Small campaign to provide millions of dollars in relief funds for a variety of groups working to provide basic necessities in cities like Detroit, Houston, New York and New Orleans.

The singer said she is predominantly focusing her coronavirus relief efforts on organisations that are helping communities of colour that have been hit hard by the outbreak.

“Communities of colour are suffering by epic proportions due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Many families live in underserved areas with homes that make it harder to practice social distancing,” the foundation wrote in a statement.

“Communities that were already lacking funds for education, health and housing are now faced with alarming infection rates and fatalities. And these communities lack access to testing and equitable health care.”

The statement continued by explaining that the funds would be given to organisations such as the United Memorial Center, Bread of Life and Matthew 25 and others which provide people with basic necessities including food, water, cleaning supplies, medicines, face masks and person hygiene items.

“Void of these basic necessities, mental burdens are also accelerated,” the statement read.

Singer said that communities of colour are suffering by epic proportions due to the pandemic (BEYGood)

“The impact of this pandemic is far reaching, and it's going to take each and everyone of us to help make a difference.”

Beyoncé previously warned that coronavirus was having a disproportionate impact on black Americans.

During a surprise appearance for the One World: Together at Home concert, the Lemonade star thanked those working on the frontline and took special care to address African-American communities.

“Black Americans disproportionately belong to these essential parts of the workforce that do not have the luxury of working from home. African-American communities at large have been severely affected in this crisis,” she said.

“Those with pre-existing conditions are at an even higher risk. This virus is killing black people at an alarmingly high rate here in America.

“A recent report in my home city, Houston, Texas, showed that of Covid-19 deaths within Houston city limits, 57 per cent of fatal cases are African-American.