The New Humanitarian is collecting updates about how the coronavirus is hitting aid responses in vulnerable communities – from refugee camps and disaster displacement sites, to border crossings and conflict zones.
The UN launched an unprecedented global appeal on 25 March, calling for $2 billion in new funds to tackle coronavirus in countries with critical humanitarian needs. The new appeal warns donors against diverting money from other relief projects – including in 25 countries that already have UN humanitarian operations unrelated to COVID-19.
But the rush to contain the coronavirus is already spilling over to existing responses. Border closures are squeezing relief supply channels in some areas. Elsewhere, lockdowns and quarantines are erecting roadblocks in front of other operations.
The rapidly evolving outbreak is pushing aid groups to plan for new responses in communities already facing long-running crises – and forcing a rethink of how the sector operates when resources are stretched on a global scale.
This article is a snapshot of what the New Humanitarian is observing. It is updated frequently.