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Foreign Minister Maas on the Federal Foreign Office’s Covid-19-related humanitarian assistance
The Federal Foreign Office is making 300 million euro available for Covid-19-related humanitarian assistance. Germany is thus making a substantial contribution in response to the global humanitarian appeals from the United Nations and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.
Foreign Minister Heiko Maas today (27 April) issued the following statement:
The coronavirus knows no borders. It affects the people who are particularly vulnerable as they live in war zones, refugee camps or countries whose health systems are close to collapse because of the pandemic. We need to show solidarity here in order to relieve the suffering. Equally: only by working together will we permanently defeat the pandemic. Otherwise there will constantly be a danger of new waves of infection.
We must pay particular attention to women, children and older people. Rapid assistance now will save lives by slowing the spread of the virus and bringing healthcare to people who are not getting help from anywhere else. If the humanitarian organisations are to be able to do this, they need our support. That’s why we have responded to the unprecedented appeal from the United Nations Secretary-General and are making 300 million euro available for humanitarian aid during the corona crisis.
Background Information:
Aid organisations are gearing up for the unprecedented challenges posed worldwide by Covid-19, as shown by the coordinated appeals from the UN (GHRP) for around 2.01 billion dollars and from the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement for 800 million Swiss francs. According to UN Secretary-General Guterres, the GHRP, implemented by nine UN organisations and humanitarian NGOs, will cover additional needs in countries already in the midst of humanitarian crises.
The funds will go to finance urgently needed preventive measures and to lessen the potentially disastrous impact of the Covid-19 pandemic in crisis contexts. The funds will be made available for measures including: 40 million euro for the WFP, 35 million euro for the UNHCR, 50 million euro for humanitarian NGOs, 50 million euro for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, 30 million euro for the Country-Based Pooled Funds, 20 million euro for the WHO, 20 million euro for UNRWA, 20 million euro for the IOM, 20 million euro for UNICEF, and 5 million euro for OCHA. In particular, this will enable aid measures in the spheres of humanitarian healthcare, water supply and sanitation. The German Government remains committed to ensuring that access can be gained to people in need despite the restrictions in place worldwide.