UN, DFID partner to scale up response to COVID-19 pandemic

 Kathmandu, Aug. 21

The United Nations in Nepal and the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID) said on Friday that they have strengthened their partnership to enhance the UN’s approach to emergency preparedness and scale-up response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Nepal.

The COVID-19 pandemic is having far reaching impacts globally, including in Nepal, which is already vulnerable to natural disasters - the compounded impact goes beyond just the health crisis.  “This package of support will enable the UN to reach those impacted by COVID-19 and at the same time, prepare for any crisis Nepal may face in the future, in support of the government,” they said in a statement.

More than 30,483 people have been tested positive for COVID-19 in Nepal till Friday and 137 people have lost their lives because of the virus.

Likewise, as of 19 August, floods and landslides triggered by the monsoon rain have killed 241 people 88 have gone missing.  

“Beyond supporting the government’s response to both COVID-19 and monsoon-related crises, the UN is also working to develop national and local disaster management capacity through its cluster co-leadership role, and is committed to jointly plan and prepare for emergency response in Nepal this year and beyond,” they said.

Under these new programmes, the UK will provide financial and technical support to tackle the outbreak of COVID-19 and scale up the UN’s ability to prepare effectively for future emergencies.

The UN and DFID said that the supports include coronavirus contact tracing teams, health screening monitoring and data management, supporting telemedicine, providing personal protective equipment for frontline health service providers, and ensuring health facilities can continue to provide sexual and reproductive health services.

Likewise, providing psychosocial support to survivors of gender based violence, supporting more than 35,000 children and pregnant and lactating women to prevent malnutrition, provide warehousing at 3 Humanitarian Staging Areas across the country and transport for key supplies, and supporting water and sanitation in health and quarantine facilities are the other support services in which the agencies have cooperated with the government.

“This is a welcome step towards the commitments made by members states, including by Nepal, to the UN Secretary-General’s reform agenda which reaffirms the role of the UN Resident Coordinator in country-level coordination to deliver collective responses to the national needs and priorities by bringing the UN system together,” said Valerie Julliand, United Nations Resident Coordinator. 

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 22 August 2020.