World Vision welcomes UN’s call for $10bn global response to COVID-19

• Coronavirus threatens to devastate families living in the world’s poorest countries
• World Vision concerned that donor government funds are still disproportionately allocated to UN agencies and failing to reach NGOs responding on the frontlines.

Today, World Vision welcomed the Global Humanitarian Response Plan (GHRP) July Update and financial appeal for US $10.3 billion for responding to COVID-19 in the world’s most vulnerable places.

The NGO endorsed the call to fund the GHRP in order to respond in countries at most at risk, especially in contexts where children were already facing pre-pandemic life-threatening fragility. World Vision’s experts have warned that the outbreak could lead to a children’s rights crisis, and result in increased hunger, extreme poverty and violence in a series of reports about the aftershocks of the pandemic.

Isabel Gomes, World Vision’s Global Director of Humanitarian Operations, says:

“Our research has uncovered that 30 million children are at risk of disease and death, and up to 85 million more girls and boys exposed to violence due to the secondary impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. We see dire predictions of increased child hunger due to the economic impact of COVID-19 already starting to come true with an estimated 110 million children at risk of going hungry.”

“The cost of protecting the poorest 10 per cent of the global population from the worst effects of the pandemic by one estimate is $90 billion –less than one per cent of the stimulus package wealthy countries have put in place to protect their own economies. Leaders from the world’s richest countries must add the world’s most vulnerable to their priorities. This virus knows no borders”

World Vision is concerned that donor government funds for the GHRP are still disproportionately being allocated to UN agencies. Even with a recent increase in allotment, only an  estimated 5 per cent of received funding has gone to NGOs actually doing the work on the ground.

“Transparency of funding flows to NGOs remain an issue. Despite the progress that is being made, the GHRP continues to demonstrate gaps in equitable resourcing, especially for NGOs and local organisations.”

“However, we were glad to contribute to the design of the GHRP, and will continue working alongside UN agencies and other partners to meet the needs of the most vulnerable.”

“Coronavirus threatens to devastate families living in the world’s hardest places. Without action we will see the first increase in global poverty and child mortality rates in thirty years. Richer countries cannot stand by and allow this to happen while they have the means to prevent it. We urge world leaders to ensure that they are supporting countries which are at risk of collapsing if left to cope alone,”Gomes says.

“This is crucial if we are to mitigate a catastrophe for children and their families.”

World Vision has undertaken the largest humanitarian response in its history and is working alongside the UN and governments to combat the coronavirus outbreak in over 70 countries around the world, already having reached 43.8 million people.

The agency’s frontline workers are promoting preventative measures like hand washing, supporting health systems and workers, and providing support to children with increased vulnerability as a result of the virus.

ENDS.

Editor Notes:

For further information or to organise and interview please contact Niamh Cooper |  Director of Media and Social Media Engagement | niamh_cooper@wvi.org | Skype: Niamh.cooper5 | Phone: +353 87 942 3371

World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organisation dedicated to working with children, families, and their communities to reach their full potential by tackling the root causes of poverty and injustice. World Vision serves all people, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or gender.  For more information, please visit www.wvi.org or follow us on Twitter @WorldVision