The United Nations continues to support the poor nations amid the coronacrisis. The international organization said it is increasing its appeal to fight the pandemic from $US2 billion to $US6.7 billion for poorest countries.
The top UN humanitarian official Mark Lowcock stressed an importance of the sustainable aid to the poor nations across the globe during the pandemic. As Mr Lowcock said, the peak of the outbreak is not expected to hit the poorest nations for three to six months, 9News reports on Thursday.
Despite that rather calm prognosis, the UN humanitarian chief reiterated there is already evidence of incomes plummeting and jobs disappearing. The situation is deteriorating with food supplies falling and prices soaring, and children missing vaccinations and meals.
While the original appeal on March 25 helped to raise $US1 billion, the updated version launched on May 7 includes nine additional vulnerable countries (Benin, Djibouti, Liberia, Mozambique, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sierra Leone, Togo and Zimbabwe) to 37 initial nations.
“Unless we take action now, we should be prepared for a significant rise in conflict, hunger and poverty,” Lowcock warned. “The spectre of multiple famines looms.”
World Food Program (WFP) chief David Beasley voiced his support to the UN appeal, saying that the UN food agency helps nearly 100 million people on any given day.
Another UN top official, UN refugee chief Filippo Grandi, said the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on people who fled wars and persecution “has been devastating.”
“Only collective action to curb the threat of the coronavirus can save lives,” Grandi added.
Summing it up, Mr Lowcock confirmed the COVID-19 pandemic “is unlike anything we have dealt with in our lifetime.” For the first time, the whole UN structure meets such a challenge when the extraordinary measures are needed.
“As we come together to combat this virus, 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,” Lowcock said.
