THE United Nations (UN) Secretary-General, António Guterres has launched a US$2 billion Global Humanitarian Response Plan to fund the fight against COVID-19 in the world’s poorest countries.

The fund was launched on Wednesday and has been made available to 51 countries and is aimed at assisting vulnerable countries fight the virus, as without the global effort, the world remains at risk.

It will be used to deliver essential laboratory equipment to test for the virus, and medical supplies to treat people, install handwashing stations in camps and settlements; launch public information campaigns on how to protect yourself and others from the virus and establish air bridges and hubs across Africa, Asia and Latin America to move humanitarian workers and supplies to where they are needed most.

Meanwhile, the plan will be coordinated by the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and will be implemented by UN agencies, with international Non-Governmental Organisation (NGOs) and NGO groups. “COVID-19 is menacing the whole of humanity – and so the whole of humanity must fight back. Individual country responses are not going to be enough. We must come to the aid of the ultra-vulnerable – millions upon millions of people who are least able to protect themselves.  This is a matter of basic human solidarity. It is also crucial for combating the virus. This is the moment to step up for the vulnerable,” Guterres said.

Already, COVID-19 has killed more than 16,000 people worldwide and there are nearly 400,000 reported cases. The UN has noted that countries already facing humanitarian crisis due to conflict, natural disasters and climate are being affected further.

In the release, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Mark Lowcock, said to leave the world’s poorest and most vulnerable countries to their fate would be both cruel and unwise. He said that while countries are rightly prioritizing their citizens, these efforts will not lead to a solution if the poorest countries are not enabled to protect themselves.
“If we leave coronavirus to spread freely in these places, we would be placing millions at high risk, whole regions will be tipped into chaos and the virus will have the opportunity to circle back around the globe,” he said. “Our priority is to help these countries prepare and continue helping the millions who rely on humanitarian assistance from the UN to survive. Properly funded, our global response effort will equip humanitarian organizations with the tools to fight the virus, save lives, and help contain the spread of COVID-19 worldwide.”
Meanwhile, World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said:

“The virus is now spreading in countries with weak health systems, including some which are already facing humanitarian crises. These countries need our support – out of solidarity but also to protect us all and help suppress this pandemic. At the same time, we must not fight the pandemic at the expense of the other humanitarian health emergencies.”
According to the plan available online, Guyana does not qualify for the fund and Haiti is the only Caribbean country meeting the criteria. The plan explained that a COVID-19 outbreak would cripple Haiti’s already weak health system. The country continues to face major health problems related to reproductive health, existing infectious diseases (malaria, diphtheria and measles) and medicine shortages.

“Access to health services is already low. The 2019 socio-economic crisis has forced many hospitals to reduce activities due to shortages of medical inputs, oxygen and fuel – and they have not regained full functionality. Insecurity has aggravated the situation, making access to health services even more difficult and causing supply problems. A COVID-19 outbreak would increase mortality among the most vulnerable,” the document rationalised.
UNICEF Executive Director, Henrietta H. Fore, said that countries owe it to the world’s children to ensure that all is done to best respond to the pandemic which has resulted in lockdowns and school closures affecting their education, mental health and access to basic health services.

At the virtual launch of the COVID-19 Global Humanitarian Response Plan, the UN Secretary-General was joined via video link by Mr. Lowcock, Dr. Tedros and Ms. Fore.
Together, they called on UN Member States to commit to stemming the impact of COVID-19 in vulnerable countries and containing the virus globally by giving then strongest possible support to the plan, while also sustaining core support to existing humanitarian appeals that help the more than 100 million people who already rely on humanitarian assistance from the UN just to survive.

Member States were warned that any diversion of funding from existing humanitarian operations would create an environment in which cholera, measles and meningitis can thrive. To kick-start the response plan, Lowcock has released an additional US$60 million from the UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF). This brings CERF’s support to humanitarian action in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to US$75 million. In addition, country-based pooled funds have allocated more than $3 million so far.

The new CERF allocation is one of the largest ever made and will help to ensure the continuity of supply chains and transport of aid workers and relief goods; assist WHO to contain the spread of the pandemic; and other agencies to provide humanitarian assistance and protection to those most affected by the pandemic, including women and girls, refugees and internally displaced people. The support will include efforts around food security, physical and mental health, water and sanitation, nutrition and protection.