OCHA Says 'Very Limited Funds' Available In Libya For COVID-19 Preparedness, Response

OCHA Says 'Very Limited Funds' Available in Libya for COVID-19 Preparedness, Response

The shortage of funds available for Libya to tackle the coronavirus disease pandemic is a further strain on the war-torn country's weakened economy with humanitarian access difficulties, Jennifer Bose Ratka, public information officer at the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Libya, told Sputnik

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 28th March, 2020) The shortage of funds available for Libya to tackle the coronavirus disease pandemic is a further strain on the war-torn country's weakened economy with humanitarian access difficulties, Jennifer Bose Ratka, public information officer at the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Libya, told Sputnik.

"Very limited funds are available for preparedness and response activities in Libya to date, despite announcements for support, while the 2020 Humanitarian Response Plan is only 2 percent," Ratka said.

The 2020 Humanitarian Response Plan that she mentioned was launched by the United Nations on Wednesday to stream some $2 billion into the world's most vulnerable countries for handling the spread of COVID-19. Coordinated by OCHA, it brings together appeals from the World Health Organization and other UN humanitarian agencies.

Ratka said the pandemic was already compounding Libya's tenuous economic situation and this will likely "significantly hamper the humanitarian response to the broader Libya crisis," specifically with regard to assistance to migrants, refugees and more than 345,000 people located in the conflict's frontline areas, which per se makes them even more vulnerable to COVID-19.

"Through our coordination mandate, our role is to minimize the humanitarian consequences of COVID-19 and work with humanitarian partners to ensure we continue to deliver the most critical services to the most vulnerable people," Ratka continued.

According to her, OCHA's assistance in Libya covers the coordination of medical equipment and tests, handwashing stations and other sanitation support, essential public information campaigns, training for national health workers, and logistics.