United Nations calls for more funding on the Covid-19 fight
"We call upon you to urgently support this global emergency supply system with an initial $350 million (over R6 billion) to enable a rapid scale-up of logistics common services." - United Nations
As South Africa ramps up its Covid-19 fund, the United Nations (UN) has made a call for more funding to its global emergency supply system in fighting Covid-19.
In a joint statement released on Tuesday, 21 April, the heads of the United Nations’ major agencies said its systems needed more funds to assist the world’s most vulnerable countries with the Covid-19 pandemic.
The UN secretary-general António Guterres on 25 March launched the Covid-19 global humanitarian response plan, requesting US$2 billion (about R38 billion) to boost the Covid-19 global response plan.
UN emergency relief coordinator Mark Lowcock said international donors have pledged around $550 million (over R10 billion) to the global humanitarian response plan for Covid-19 so far.
Lowcock said the UN central emergency response fund (CERF) also released $95 million (over 1,8 billion) to kick-start the Covid-19 response. This helped contain the spread of the virus, maintain supply chains, and provide assistance and protection to the most vulnerable people, including women and girls and refugees.
Lowcock added, “Around $550 million has generously been made available to implement the plan so far, with significant additional resources being mobilised and pledged.
“But more needs to be done. To get more deliveries off the ground, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) is setting up the vital logistics backbone that will help save lives and halt the spread of the virus.
” WFP now needs additional funding to establish the necessary transport hubs, charter vessels and provide aircraft for cargo, health workers and other essential staff.”
The organisation believed without the funds its effort in assisting vulnerable countries to swiftly respond to the fight against Covid-19 could be halted.
” Now is not the time to slow down. No one is safe until everyone is safe,” Lowcock said.
“We, humanitarian organisations from across the world, therefore, call upon you to urgently support this global emergency supply system with an initial $350 million (over R 6 billion) to enable a rapid scale-up of logistics common services.”
UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said a delay in aid services, due to lack of resources, could compromise global efforts to bring the pandemic under control.
Grandi said scientists were expected to find a vaccine at least in the next 12 months.”In this race against an invisible enemy, all countries must fight back, but not all begin from the same starting line.
“In countries where the world’s most vulnerable need humanitarian aid and supplies to beat back the pandemic, cancelled flights and disrupted supply routes hit disproportionately hard.”
The UN scale-up of the Covid-19 services includes:
- Establishing, equipping and managing international consolidation hubs and regional staging areas
- Air and shipping cargo services
- Passenger air services, with the necessary measures to avoid further spreading of the virus
- Medical evacuation services for frontline workers
- Infrastructure and construction of treatment centres
- Real-time remote data collection
- Critical investments required to safely deliver operations and services.
Notice: Coronavirus reporting at Caxton Local Media aims to combat fake news.
Dear reader,
As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as “fake news”) is circulating online. Caxton Local Media is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19.
Readers with any comments or queries may contact National Group Editor Irma Green (irma@caxton.co.za) or Legal Adviser Helene Eloff (helene@caxton.co.za).
Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to editorial@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.
For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites:
For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram
