CAFOD has joined forces with the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) to help millions of vulnerable people whose lives are at risk as the coronavirus pandemic spreads across refugee camps and countries suffering conflict.
Families who have been forced to flee their homes in places including Syria, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, now face another deadly threat as coronavirus takes hold in new areas. There are not enough hospital beds or supplies to treat those who fall ill, and families face hunger as a result of lockdowns, price rises and job losses.
CAFOD Director, Christine Allen, said: “In the UK our struggle against coronavirus has entered the next phase, but in many of the world’s poorest communities the fight has only just begun. We need your support to reach these communities and help people to cope as best they can when an outbreak of the virus strikes."We’re now familiar with the social distancing and handwashing advice that can stop the spread of coronavirus, but in places such as South Sudan, Syria and the Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar these measures are almost impossible to copy.
Overcrowded living spaces, weak health systems and a lack of clean safe water make protecting vulnerable families in these places even more challenging.
The most urgent needs are:
To protect vulnerable homeless and refugee families by giving them water, soap and information on how to keep safe.
To support frontline medical and aid workers with protective equipment, medical supplies and training.
To provide emergency food so that the coronavirus crisis does not mean people go hungry and children become malnourished.
On 30 April we launched an emergency appeal for funds, and with your incredible support we have already raised over £1 million. Our local experts are already working in communities and your donations are saving lives across Africa, Latin America, Asia and the Middle East.
But the need is growing each day. On 6 July, the World Health Organization confirmed there have been over 11 million cases of coronavirus globally and over half a million deaths.
Joining forces with the Disasters Emergency Committee will allow us to scale up our response to ensure that no one is beyond reach of the humanitarian aid they need to survive in the coming weeks and months.
With further donations, we will be able to reach some of the most vulnerable and excluded with food, and clean, safe water - reducing suffering and saving lives.
To donate to CAFOD please visit their webpage here.
