COVID-19 Emergency Appeal - Zambia

The UN System in Zambia recognises and commends the efforts of the Government of Republic of Zambia in taking the lead in scaling up the response and putting preventive measures in place to stop the further spreading of the virus.  The United Nations stands in solidarity with the Government and people of Zambia in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. UN agencies, delivering as one, will continue to support various aspects of COVID-19 response in Zambia around 10 sectors outlined in the COVID-19 Multisectoral Contingency and Response plan, also reflected in this Emergency Appeal. With the valued support and collaboration of Cooperating Partners, the UN has supported the formulation of the health COVID-19 Preparedness and Response Plan, and Multisectoral Contingency and Response Planning, resource mobilisation, risk communication and community engagement, training of technical staff, strengthening surveillance in communities, procurement of personal protective equipment, promoting Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in health facilities and strengthening infection prevention measures.

COVID-19 pandemic will have a multifaceted effect on the lives of the people of Zambia considering that movement restrictions put in place to contain the pandemic are impacting people’s ability to access basic services to sustain their livelihoods. These well-intended preventive measures will undoubtably exacerbate existing vulnerability of disadvantaged population groups such as the elderly, disabled, people living with HIV, youth, poor households, refugee and migrants. Extended quarantine and other social distancing measures have increased reports of domestic violence, as a result of household stress over economic and health shocks, combined with forced coexistence in confined living spaces. Given the increase in reports of GBV, ensuring that women and girls can access GBV support services remains a critical and life-saving activity The fight against COVID-19 is clearly a mammoth task that can only be accomplished with the full involvement of all stakeholders.  As experts have indicated, this is a new epidemic for which a lot is yet to be learnt and one that has overwhelmed the entire global village.