The United Nations is increasing to $10.3 billion its appeal for humanitarian aid funding to handle the fallout from the coronavirus crisis around the world, according to the Associated Press.
At the beginning of the year, humanitarian agencies targeted around 110 million people. They now need to reach 250 million in 63 countries, said the report citing a top official.
"The number of people in the world who need humanitarian assistance has more than doubled because of the Covid-19 pandemic and the effects of the global lockdown of economies and societies," stated Jens Laerke, a spokesman for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Geneva yesterday (July 17).
Laerke said the UN initially asked for $2 billion in late March for the immediate response. That was increased to $6.7 billion in May.
He said the appeal does cover basic health services but the bulk of it is related to non-health needs, such as food, water, sanitation, and shelter.
"We are seeing a huge increase in the number of starving people, which could reach some 270 million by the end of the year," he added.
