Germany is therefore providing humanitarian assistance to states with weak healthcare systems, working on multilateral solutions and seeking to strengthen Team Europe.

COVID‑19 also poses a threat to the poorest of the poor – we are providing assistance!

It is predicted that the next hotspot in the COVID‑19 pandemic will be the global South. There it will impact on societies which are already struggling to cope with the economic and social effects of the containment measures. The risk of political instability, large‑scale famines as well as new waves of refugees and migration is increasing. For people who have already been hit by war and natural disasters, are traumatised or undernourished, suffering from tropical diseases or forced to live together under cramped conditions in refugee camps, the danger posed by COVID‑19 is disastrous.

The UN Secretary-General has called on the international community to assist the poorest of the poor. Germany is providing assistance.

COVID‑19 has shaken the international order – we are committed to multilateralism!

The corona crisis presents the global community with unprecedented challenges. The pandemic has widened the divisions in international politics. National isolation is jeopardising the multilateral system and making international coordination more difficult. Nor will national isolation protect anyone. Rather, it will reinforce the economic impact of the pandemic.

Germany is committed to efficient crisis management, credibility, transparency and basic democratic values. And Germany is currently shouldering special responsibility: on 1 July, it will assume the chair of the UN Security Council for the second time during our current term as a non‑permanent member. The Alliance for Multilateralism established together with France will support the efforts to foster international cooperation and multilateral solutions.

The World Health Organization has a central and vital role to play in the direct endeavours to tackle the pandemic. Germany is among the most important donors and supporters and has increased the funding it is making available in light of the pandemic.

COVID‑19 poses a challenge to Europe – we are Team Europe!

The European Union can only master this crisis if it works together. We want the EU to emerge strengthened from the crisis and help shape the global order to ensure greater sustainability, justice and solidarity.

Germany is helping European partners with medical treatment and the supply of medical goods.

For Europe, solidarity is important both internally and internationally. The EU has provided considerable funds for the fight against COVID‑19 which will benefit our immediate neighbours in the Western Balkans and the countries of the Eastern Partnership, as well as Africa. Together, Team Europe should provide a strong European response to the current global challenges – through coordinated relief measures which are delivered quickly where they are needed.

There are now grounds for cautious hope that the #covid‑19 curve is gradually flattening – in global terms, however, we are only at the beginning of the pandemic. Germany is supporting states with weak healthcare systems and is working on multilateral solutions.