United Nations, July 19 (RHC)-- Coronavirus support to poor countries has been so far "grossly inadequate and that's dangerously shortsighted," UN aid chief Mark Lowcock said, as he asked wealthy countries for billions more dollars in assistance.
The United Nations increased its humanitarian appeal by more than a third to $10.3bn to help 63 states, mainly in Africa and Latin America, tackle the spread and destabilising effects of the coronavirus. This is up from the world body's initial $2 billion request in March, then $6.7 billion in May. So far, Lowcock said, the UN has only received $1.7 billion.
As finance ministers from the Group of 20 major economies prepare to meet virtually over the weekend, Lowcock told reporters: "The message to the G-20 is step up now or pay the price later."
"The response so far of wealthy nations, who've rightly thrown out the fiscal and monetary rule books to protect their own people and economies, the response that they've made to the situations in other countries has been grossly inadequate and that's dangerously shortsighted."
