UN System in Zambia Launches COVID-19 Emergency Appeal

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

UN System in Zambia Launches COVID-19 Emergency Appeal

USD133 million needed to support 6 million vulnerable people from May to October

Lusaka, 15 May 2020: The UN Resident Coordinator in Zambia Dr Coumba Mar Gadio and Zambia’s Vice-President Ms Inonge Wina this morning jointly launched the UN COVID-19 Emergency Appeal and the Government Multisectoral COVID-19 Response Plan with a call for support to reduce the impact of the pandemic on 6 million people in the country.

The launch was witnessed in person by Cabinet Ministers from Health, Finance, National Development Planning, Information and Broadcasting, Home affairs, Office of the Vice President, members of the diplomatic corps, cooperating partners and other stakeholders such as Faith Based Organisations and the private sector who joined virtually due to COVID- 19 guidelines on gatherings.

The UN COVID-19 Emergency Appeal, which is aimed at reducing the impact of COVID-19 on 6.2 million vulnerable people in the country during the period May to October 2020, seeks immediate funding of USD133 million to meet the needs of the most vulnerable people in Zambia.

The UN will work with 27 partners comprising 9 United Nations agencies, 11 International Non-Governmental Organisations and 7 local Non-Governmental Organisations across 11 sectors namely food security, social protection, COVID-19 public health, education, health and WASH sectors. Others are Risk Communication and Community Engagement, immediate economic support, nutrition, protection and governance.

The appeal complements the Government of Zambia’s COVID-19 Multisectoral Contingency and Response Plan focusing on strengthening preparedness and response to COVID-19 also launched at the same event by Zambia’s Republican Vice-President Ms Inonge Mutukwa Wina, MP.

The Vice President called for support by all stakeholders in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic that had reshaped life as known before.

“Who then should come out and help? The answer is that each one of us must gather courage, stand up and be counted because a human crisis of the scale of COVID-19 calls for support from both from within and outside our comfort zone no matter how small the contribution may be,” said Ms Wina

Also speaking at the at the event, UN Resident Coordinator in Zambia, Dr Coumba Mar Gadio called on cooperating partners and the private sector to support the appeal.

“I would like kindly request Cooperating Partners to support the UN Emergency Appeal whose purpose is to facilitate the operationalization and implementation of the COVID-19 Multisectoral Contingency and Response Plan. Your financial support will be critical to enable the UN and implementing partners on the ground to deliver timely and adequate lifesaving interventions to respond to and put preventive measures in place to stop the further spread of the virus,” said Dr Gadio.

The Minister of Finance Bwalya Ng’andu said that COVID-19 had been projected to affect the growth of the Zambian economy, hence the need for concerted efforts to assist the most vulnerable people in society. And Minister of Health Chitalu Chilufya noted that the pandemic was a global health emergency with serious consequences on the socio-economic development and sustainable development.

The United Nations Emergency Appeal for Zambia prioritizes the most urgent and lifesaving interventions necessary to reduce the impact of COVID-19. In particular, the appeal promotes multisectoral support for populations affected by COVID -19 primary and secondary impacts.

Under the lead of World Health Organisation (WHO), the United Nations has supported the Government on the development of a multisectoral contingency plan and assessment of the socio-economic impact of the pandemic in Zambia. The UN will continue supporting the Government with resource mobilisation to provide timely and adequate responses.

With support from cooperating partners, the UN has contributed to ongoing efforts by the Government including training of technical staff and helping strengthen surveillance in communities, procurement of personal protective equipment and essential medicines, promoting Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in health facilities and strengthening infection prevention and control.

Additional support has gone towards strengthening health systems to effectively deliver health services, including supporting human resources for health to provide antenatal care, safe delivery and addressing sexual and Gender-Based Violence, which increases in times of crises.