Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC)

The DEC has worked with its member charities and the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs to produce a new report that shows the depth of the concern for what lies ahead this year for the world’s most vulnerable communities.

The report finds that the pandemic has worsened the already dire humanitarian situation in fragile states such as Syria, Yemen and South Sudan, with aid workers saying they expect it to deteriorate further in the coming months. The economic impact of the virus has left people unable to afford food and other essentials, they said, with thousands likely to die from hunger this year in several countries.

You can read the full report here: https://breaking-point.dec.org.uk

Other findings from the report include:

• Covid-19 cases and deaths have been chronically underreported in fragile states due to minimal testing as well as stigma and fear, with Afghanistan carrying out just 400 tests per day for a population of 40 million in November.

• Fragile health services have been overwhelmed, with maternal and newborn care and vaccination services being disrupted as a result.

• The situation in some fragile states is the worst it has been in a decade – including in Syria and Yemen where civil wars were raging before the pandemic – according to a survey of senior aid workers.

The DEC launched the Coronavirus Appeal in July 2020 and funds raised have been helping refugees and displaced people in six of the world’s most fragile states, including Syria, as well as the Rohingya camps in Bangladesh.  The total raised by the appeal now stands at £38 million, including £10 million in Aid Match from the UK Government.

If you have any questions about the report, our Coronavirus Appeal, or if you'd like to make a donation to the appeal, you can contact us directly on partnerships@dec.org.uk.

Millions of lives are at stake as Covid-19 hits the world’s most fragile places: war-torn countries like Yemen, Syria and South Sudan. Help families who have lost everything as they face a deadly new threat.

Here in the UK we have all had to make unprecedented sacrifices to protect each other and save lives. And we have witnessed the tireless dedication of staff in our amazing NHS. Elsewhere, people in the world’s most fragile places also need our help: those in countries where there is no NHS; families who have fled conflict and hunger – and who are now living in crowded refugee and displacement camps where social distancing is impossible.

Imagine having to leave everything behind to keep your family safe, only to face a new, silent threat: Covid-19. This is the reality for people living in tents and makeshift shelters without running water in Yemen, Syria, Somalia, South Sudan, DRC and Afghanistan, as well as the Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh.

These places have little access to medical care, clean water or enough food, making people extremely vulnerable to coronavirus. In these places, the virus is likely to be even more deadly than it has been here.

There are not enough hospital beds or supplies to treat those who fall ill. But, as we have seen in the UK, simple measures can make a huge difference. If we act now to protect millions of vulnerable people, many lives can be saved.

The 14 DEC member charities need your help to:

• provide families with clean water, soap and information on keeping themselves safe;

• provide frontline medical and aid workers with equipment and supplies to care for the vulnerable and sick; and

• ensure families get enough food to prevent malnutrition, particularly amongst children.

People who have suffered so much need your help now more than ever to face this new threat. Please donate now at dec.org.uk