Vital for global health security: UN chief on COVID-19 global humanitarian response plan

The UN chief also stressed that individual country responses are not going to be enough to combat the COVID-19, and so the whole of humanity must fight back against it.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres launched today USD 2 billion global humanitarian response plan to fund the fight against COVID-19 pandemic in the world's most vulnerable countries which are already in the midst of humanitarian crises caused by conflicts, natural disasters, and climate change.

"We must come to the aid of the ultra-vulnerable millions of people who are least able to protect themselves. Supporting this humanitarian response plan is a necessity for global health security. It is a moral imperative and in everyone's interests. And it is a crucial part of winning this fight," Guterres said.

The response plan will fulfill the following objectives:

• 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 airbridges and hubs across Africa, Asia, and Latin America to move humanitarian workers and supplies to where they are needed most.

The UN chief also stressed that individual country responses are not going to be enough to combat the COVID-19, and so the whole of humanity must fight back against it.

Commenting on the launch, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the World Health Organization's Director-General said, "Since the COVID-19 outbreak was identified, WHO and our partners have been ramping up surveillance and lab testing across low- and middle-income countries. The new Global Humanitarian Response Plan builds on that effort and sets a six-point action plan for how to prepare and respond to this COVID-19 emergency."

"Despite their resilience they do need our help today and this new plan lays out what has to happen right now, in order to save lives and slow the spread of the #coronavirus"-@DrTedros #COVID19

— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) March 25, 2020