Huge appeal for funds to fight virus

– The United Nations yesterday issued a new appeal for $4.7 billion (R87 billion) in funding to “protect millions of lives and stem the spread of coronavirus in fragile countries”.

The money is on top of the $2 billion the UN already called for when it launched its global humanitarian response plan on 25 March. It has received about half of that money so far.

“The most devastating and destabilising effects” of the pandemic “will be felt in the world’s poorest countries”, said UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs Mark Lowcock.

“Unless we take action now, we should be prepared for a significant rise in conflict, hunger and poverty. The spectre of multiple famines looms,” he warned.

The full $6.7 billion is expected to cover costs of the humanitarian response plan until December.

It prioritises about 20 countries, including several in conflict such as Afghanistan and Syria.

The new call for donations came as nine more countries were added to the list: Benin, Djibouti, Liberia, Mozambique, Pakistan, Philippines, Sierra Leone, Togo and Zimbabwe.

The funds are to be used to buy medical equipment to test and treat the sick, provide hand-washing stations, launch information campaigns and establish humanitarian airlifts to Africa, Asia and Latin America, according to the UN.

It also aims to develop new programmes to better combat food insecurity that is growing as a result of the economic crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“I urge donors to act in both solidarity and in self-interest and make their response proportionate to the scale of the problem we face,” said Lowcock.

Covid-19 infections are expected to peak in the world’s poorest countries in the next three to six months, according to UN estimates. –