Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand is one of the thirteen New Zealand aid organisations have banded together to issue a warning over the millions of children plunged into hunger by the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Adra, Caritas, CBM, ChildFund New Zealand, Hagar, Hope St, International Needs, Orphans Aid International, The Salvation Army, Save the Children, Tearfund, VSA and World Vision – are calling on New Zealanders to help “resource their global neighbours” to help deal with the mounting disaster.
The pandemic is compounding an already acute situation and threatening to unravel decades of progress towards the reduction of extreme poverty, the aid groups say.
With fractured food markets and rising unemployment, hunger levels and the numbers facing starvation are rise.
On Tuesday the United Nations issued a report which estimates between 778 million and 828 million people globally may go hungry this year.
While it is hard to predict, a preliminary assessment suggests that COVID-19 may add between 83 and 132 million people to the total number of undernourished in the world.
“Without swift action, we will very likely see a rapid return to historic levels of poverty,” says Ian McInnes, Council for International Development chairman and Tearfund chief executive.”
Caritas Aotearoa says their relationships with their partners on the ground allow them to help respond to their unique needs in the context of their communities.
Right now, they are focused on prevention, preparedness and response through:
- Consistent messaging, including debunking myths, understanding the risk of infection and how the virus spreads
- Raising awareness on personal hygiene and shared spaces
- Designing activities to help convey messages throughout communities
- Gathering resources such as food, water and beds
- Distributing life-saving supplies such as soap and hand sanitiser
Click here to watch the Caritas Aotearoa presentation
Click here to donate to Caritas Aotearoa
Source
- nzherald.co.nz
- caritas.org.nz
- Image: screenshot caritas.org.nz