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The United Nations today launched a humanitarian appeal to raise aid, with a record value of 35,000 million dollars, for the year 2021, to face the repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic, which plunged hundreds of millions of people into poverty. people, at a time that is looming on the horizon of several famines.
With the epidemic crisis, the number of people in need of humanitarian aid in the world will increase in 2021 to a new record, reaching 235 million people, which will increase by 40% compared to 2020, according to the humanitarian response plans coordinated by United Nations.
The funds requested by the United Nations and its partners aim to help some 160 million people (out of 325 million) in 46 countries, who are the most vulnerable and facing hunger, conflict, displacement, and the impact of climate change. and the epidemic.
“Almost all of the increase is due to Covid-19,” Mark Lowcock, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Aid, told a news conference.
He added: “The picture we present is the bleakest and darkest that has ever been seen in terms of humanitarian needs in the coming period.”
The indicators are red
The United Nations confirmed that the global health crisis has disrupted the lives of all people around the world, noting that “people already living on the edge were severely and disproportionately affected by rising prices for food, income collapse, vaccination programs interrupted and schools closed. “
For the first time since the late 1990s, the rate of extreme poverty increased, life expectancy declined sharply around the world, and the number of deaths from AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria could double.
And the United Nations warned that “several famines are looming on the horizon,” and Lowcock said: “Signs are red and sirens are sounding.”
By the end of 2020, 270 million people could be severely food insecure, according to the United Nations (Reuters)By the end of 2020, 270 million people could be severely food insecure, more than 82% of the pre-pandemic period.
Lowcock stressed that the people of Yemen, Burkina Faso, South Sudan and northeastern Nigeria are on the brink of famine, while the people of other countries and regions such as Afghanistan and the Sahel region “are potentially very vulnerable.”
“If we can get through 2021 without a major famine, it would be a huge achievement,” he said.
Very sad moments
The UN appeal shows that war-torn Yemen and Syria top the list of countries most in need of humanitarian aid.
The United Nations is requesting almost $ 6 billion to help millions of Syrians in their country and in the world, and around $ 3.5 billion to help some 20 million people in Yemen who are exposed to the humanitarian crisis. worst in the world.
“The humanitarian system has once again proved its worth in 2020 by providing food, medicine, shelter, education and basic materials to tens of millions of people,” said United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
“But the crisis is far from over, the humanitarian aid budget faces a severe shortage, at a time when the repercussions of the epidemic continue in the world. We must mobilize our resources together and show that we are in solidarity with people who are living moments very dark, “he added.
This year, international donors provided record funding of more than $ 17 billion for a collective humanitarian response of the 29 billion requested by the United Nations last December.
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