Local Editor
Fourteen of the UK's leading aid charities will on Tuesday launch an appeal to protect millions in refugee and displacement camps from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) aims to raise millions for those in Yemen, Syria, Somalia, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Afghanistan, and Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh.
The British government has said it will match donations pound-for-pound up to a total of £5m.
Overcrowded camps filled with those left destitute fleeing war, persecution, drought and famine are poorly prepared to withstand the new coronavirus and could see huge casualties, aid workers fear.
“These temporary settlements do not have enough clean running water and soap for people to protect themselves or basic medical supplies to treat those who fall ill, let alone enough ventilators and specialist equipment,” said a statement.
The first confirmed case last week in the mainly rebel-held province of Idlib in north-west Syria has sparked fears of a potentially devastating outbreak in the area's crowded camps.
The pandemic is already tearing through Yemen and Afghanistan, where huge numbers have fled war and drought.
Aid groups have long warned that the estimated 850,000 Rohingya refugees living in the world’s biggest refugee camp in Bangladesh could find themselves in a new epicentre of the pandemic.
Money raised will go to improve hygiene and medical care in camps, and provide food and clean water.
Anne-Marie Trevelyan, international development secretary, said: “We are matching generous donations from the British people to the emergency appeal pound for pound, meaning your money will go twice as far in helping to protect millions of the world’s most vulnerable people from the deadly effects of coronavirus.
“Clean water and healthcare in refugee camps are essential in containing coronavirus in the developing world – helping stop the spread of the pandemic and protecting the UK from further waves of infection.”
Source: News Agencies
