Famine looming in fragile states over Covid, UK aid agencies warn
HUNGER levels are rising and famine is looming in several countries, with the coronavirus pandemic pushing people in fragile states towards catastrophe, a coalition of leading UK aid agencies has warned.
A new report found that the pandemic has worsened the already “dire humanitarian” situation in fragile states such as Syria, Yemen and South Sudan.
It added that aid workers expect the situation to deteriorate further in the coming months, with the economic impact of the virus leaving people unable to afford food and other essentials, with thousands likely to die from hunger in several countries.
The Disasters Emergency Committee’s (DEC) report concluded that support for the poorest communities with cash grants, vouchers for food and direct food aid should be prioritised to reduce hunger levels and stave off famine.
The DEC brings together 14 UK aid charities in times of crisis, including the British Red Cross, Oxfam and Save the Children.
Its chief executive, Saleh Saeed, said: “People living in places made perilous by conflict, violence and climate disasters are coping with the coronavirus pandemic as best they can, but the odds are stacked against them.
“The knock-on effects of the pandemic have crippled economies, making the world’s poorest people even poorer.
“Country directors of DEC member charities fear having to reprioritise which life-saving programmes should be funded and which of the most vulnerable people should receive humanitarian relief.
“Without continued support, many lives will be lost – not just from Covid-19 itself, but from the economic impact of the virus.”
The report covers Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the
Congo (DRC), Somalia, South Sudan, Syria and Yemen, and also reviews the situation in the Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh.
It is based on extensive interviews with front-line aid workers as well as with representatives from the UN and the World Health Organisation (WHO), a survey of senior aid workers working for DEC members, and detailed independent reviews of the DEC-funded response to the pandemic.
Other findings include that Covid-19 cases and deaths have been “chronically underreported” in fragile states due to minimal testing as well as stigma and fear, health services have been overwhelmed, and aid funding is falling as humanitarian needs rise, with many aid agencies cutting back on life-saving services.
The report also said the situation in some fragile states is the worst it has been in a decade – including in Syria and Yemen, where civil wars were raging before the pandemic.
It said parts of South Sudan and Yemen are now on the brink of famine, while Afghanistan and the DRC are at risk, driven by the pandemic’s economic impacts.
Funding is making a significant difference, with 88 per cent of aid workers agreeing or strongly agreeing that humanitarian action helped prevent the spread of Covid-19 in their country.
Mr Saeed said: “Unprecedented levels of need lie ahead but funds to provide humanitarian assistance are and will continue to make a direct and practical difference. The DEC Coronavirus Appeal remains open and the DEC urges anyone who is able to help to consider donating.”
The knockon effects of the pandemic have crippled economies. Disasters Emergency Committee chief executive Saleh Saeed.