UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres launched Wednesday a 2-billion-U.S.-dollar global humanitarian response plan to fight COVID-19 in some of the world's most vulnerable countries that are already in the midst of humanitarian crises.
"The world faces an unprecedented threat. The COVID-19 pandemic has rapidly covered the globe. It has spread suffering, disrupted billions of lives and endangered the global economy." he said at the launch, a virtual event held via video teleconference from the United Nations headquarters in New York.
Guterres continued: "COVID-19 is menacing the whole of humanity – and so the whole of humanity must fight back. Inpidual country responses are not going to be enough."
"Wealthy countries with strong health systems are buckling under the pressure. Now, the virus is arriving in countries already in the midst of humanitarian crises caused by conflicts, natural disasters, and climate change."
The UN Secretary-General noted that the citizens in these places have been forced to flee their homes because of bombs, violence or floods are living under plastic sheets in fields or crammed into refugee camps or informal settlements.
He stressed that they do not have homes in which to socially distance or self-isolate as well as lack clean water and soap with which to do that most basic act of self-protection against the virus – washing their hands.
Guterres noted that should anyone of them become critically ill, they have no way of accessing a healthcare system that can provide a hospital bed and a ventilator.
"We must come to the aid of the ultra-vulnerable – millions upon millions of people who are least able to protect themselves." he pointed out.
"This is a matter of basic human solidarity. It is also crucial for combatting the virus. The world is only as strong as our weakest health system. If we do not take decisive action now, I fear the virus will establish a foothold in the most fragile countries, leaving the whole world vulnerable as it continues to circle the planet, paying no mind to borders." he added.
The UN Secretary-General continued: "This is the moment to step up for the vulnerable. Older persons, persons with chronic illness and persons with disabilities face particular, disproportionate risks, and require an all-out effort to save their lives and protect their future."
The plan will be implemented by the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and in coordination with the World Health Organization and other UN partners.
Properly funded, it will save many lives and arm humanitarian agencies and NGOs with laboratory supplies for testing, and with medical equipment to treat the sick while protecting health care workers.
The plan also includes additional measures to support host communities that continue to generously open their homes and towns to refugees and displaced persons.
Guterres warned that if the funding is perted, the consequences could be catastrophic: the further spread of cholera, measles, and meningitis; greater levels of child malnutrition; and a blow to the ability of these countries to combat the virus.
Follow the latest news on Google News
