UN discussing relief assistance to Pakistan to combat coronavirus: Guterres

UNITED NATIONS, Mar 31 (APP):The United Nations is in touch with Pakistan for relief assistance to the country under the world body’s $2 billion rescue plan that was unveiled last week, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres Secretary-General said Tuesday at the launch of another initiative to counter the adverse impact of the coronavirus pandemic — COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund to support efforts in low- and middle-income countries.

“Pakistan is a country with whom we have been in contact because there are large number of Afghan refugees, and there is also now a meaningful impact of COVID-19,” the UN chief said in response to a question from APP after he launched the new fund at a virtual press conference.

In the new report, ‘Shared responsibility, global solidarity: Responding to the socio-economic impacts of COVID-19’, the secretary-general called on everyone to act together to address this impact and lessen the blow to people.

Guterres also said at his online press conference that the United Nations was ready to consider the expansion of its March 25 humanitarian appeal to other situations that might require it.

“So, we will be progressively enlarging the scope of these requests for support.”

“And it is complemented by the Trust Fund we are launching today that aims essentially at recovery and in developing countries, both low-income countries and middle-income countries,” the UN chief said.

“So, I hope that there will be a positive response from the international community in order for us to be able to support those that are in more fragile and dramatic circumstances — refugees, internally displaced people, people in the slums of big cities in the global South, people in very fragile countries — but at the same time, that we’re able to respond to the poor.

“Let’s not forget, there are more poor in middle-income countries than in the least developed countries. So, we need to be able to address the vulnerable ones wherever they are,” he added.

On March 25, the UN called for $2 billion in new funds to tackle coronavirus in countries with critical humanitarian needs, listing about 38 countries.
Launching the unprecedented global appeal, the secretary-general said COVID-19 is “menacing the whole of humanity”.

Countries with existing humanitarian crises “are particularly vulnerable, and less equipped and able” to respond, the UN said in an 81-page response plan accompanying the appeal, warning that “political stability and security will also be at stake” in some places.