THE United Nations has mobilized in-kind support and technical assistance worth P1.4 billion to help the Philippines respond to the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) through 20 different agencies. According to Gustavo Gonzalez, the UN’s resident and humanitarian coordinator in the country, the international agency has moved swiftly to support the government-led effort to contain the virus and limit its socioeconomic impact. “Our support combines the reorientation of existing interventions to cope with the crisis, the implementation of timely impact assessments as well as technical assistance and in-kind support to national, regional and community partners,” Gonzalez said. Acting Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua thanked the UN for its immediate support for the country’s Covid-19 response, adding that the help of organizations such as theirs would help the country be more resilient in facing future crises. “We recognize these contributions in the health sector through humanitarian initiatives that target the most vulnerable, on top of multisectoral programs and activities that aim to assist the Philippines’ recovery from the pandemic,” Chua said.

Source: Manila Times October 28, 2020 16:18 UTC