UN Appeals for Additional $4.7 Billion to Fight Virus Pandemic

By Staff, Agencies

The United Nations on Thursday issued a new appeal for $4.7 billion in funding to "protect millions of lives and stem the spread of coronavirus in fragile countries."

The money is on top of the $2 billion the UN already called for when it launched its global humanitarian response plan on March 25. It has received about half of that money so far.

"The most devastating and destabilizing effects" of the novel coronavirus pandemic "will be felt in the world's poorest countries," UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock said in a statement.

"Unless we take action now, we should be prepared for a significant rise in conflict, hunger and poverty. The specter of multiple famines looms," he warned.

The full $6.7 billion is expected to cover costs of the humanitarian response plan until December.

It prioritizes some 20 countries, including several in conflict such as Afghanistan and Syria.

The new call for donations came as nine more countries were added to the list: Benin, Djibouti, Liberia, Mozambique, Pakistan, Philippines, Sierra Leone, Togo and Zimbabwe.

The funds are to be used to buy medical equipment to test and treat the sick, provide hand-washing stations, launch information campaigns and establish humanitarian airlifts to Africa, Asia and Latin America, according to the UN. 

It also aims to develop new programs to better combat food insecurity that is growing as a result of the economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.