UN launches COVID-19 Global Humanitarian Response Plan
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres launched a global humanitarian response plan to fight COVID-19 in some of the world’s most vulnerable countries. He announced this at a video teleconference with the participation of the UN undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs Mark Lowcock, UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore and WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
“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. This is a matter of basic human solidarity,” said Guterres at the launch, appealing to governments for their full support to the humanitarian response plan, which is a necessity for global health security.
2-billion-US-dollar response plan will be implemented by UN agencies, with international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and NGO consortia playing a direct role in the response, said Mark Lowcock, The plan will be coordinated by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
The plan will deliver essential laboratory equipment to test for the virus, and medical supplies to treat people; install handwashing stations in camps and settlements. The plan will also include launch public information campaigns on virus prevention and establish airbridges and hubs to move humanitarian workers and supplies to where they are needed most.
“Properly funded, the plan will save millions lives and is crucial for combatting the COVID-19 spread globally. The plan is in everyone’s interests. And it is a crucial part of winning the fight against the virus,” UN Secretary-General emphasized.
To kick-start the response plan, Mark Lowcock released an additional 60 million USD from the UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund.
