Humanitarian Partners Meeting in response to COVID-19

It is with pleasure and in profound solidarity with each of you and the people of Eswatini that, on behalf of NDMA and the United Nations, I welcome you to this important gathering aimed at developing a collective, integrated and coherent Humanitarian Response to COVID-19 national strategy, plans and efforts in the Kingdom of Eswatini. The world faces an unprecedented threat from COVID-19. We shall get through this crisis only if we act together, in solidarity, in a strategic and very decisive manner, as the circumstances on the ground may allow us to proceed. The virus can be contained and defeated through aggressive and targeted tactics – including finding, isolating, testing, treating and tracing. This requires expanded testing, increasing capacity of healthcare facilities, supporting healthcare workers; ensuring adequate supplies; and reaching out to all individuals and groups wherever they may be located. Globally, as of yesterday, 13 April, there were 1,773,084 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 111,652 deaths reported by WHO. 913,349 cases could be found in Europe and 610,742 in the Americas. While the death toll has slowed down in some of the most hit areas, COVID-19 is now poised to move fast into the developing world in a very dangerous way, and into areas that lack the necessary resources to respond. In the neighboring South Africa, there were 2173 confirmed cases and 25 deaths while there are now 20 confirmed cases in Mozambique. Eswatini has 15 confirmed cases with no deaths and 8 patients having fully recovered. Admittedly, this is the most challenging crisis the world has faced in the 75 years of existence of the United Nations. It is a global health emergency unlike any other — one that is spreading death and human suffering, destabilizing economies, threatening social fabrics and turning upside down the lives of billions of people around the globe, leaving the most vulnerable persons – including the elderly, persons with disabilities, OVCs, rural populations, women and girls (to name only a few) - further behind. Solidarity is not only a moral imperative; it is in everyone’s interests. The survival of our planet and its people depends on each and every one of us. Under the present circumstances and in the face of a common, invisible, lethal and quick to progress threat, we shall work together in an unprecedented innovative, efficient, strategic and concerted manner that recognizes our interdependence. In Eswatini, in particular during the drought or El Nino emergency of 2015/2016, we have learned that we are our best when we are willing to share our knowledge, our best practices and networks openly with each other, guided by the very same objectives: save lives and ensure that no person, no community and no group of this great nation is left behind. We are only as strong as the weakest person among us. The scale of the COVID-19 crisis requires new ways of working, and innovative partnerships within and between the State and non-State actors that reflect lessons learned, identify vulnerabilities and manage risks, so that interventions go to scale and efforts to prevent transmission reach down to the community level where impact will be greatest. Driven by this sense of solidarity, the UN is committed to supporting the people of Eswatini in tackling COVID-19, including its impact. Together as UN agencies, funds and programmes – working and delivering as ONE UN – we are providing support for coordination, prevention and risk communication, technical assistance, the procurement of essential medical and pharmaceutical supplies and equipment, along with nutrition and the distribution of food items. When emergencies occur, coordination is necessary. Good coordination means less gaps and less overlaps in the assistance delivered by humanitarian organizations. A few years ago, in 2016, and with the guidance of OCHA, the UN in Eswatini and partners adopted the Cluster Approach in tackling the El Nino emergency with great success. For newcomers to this platform, clusters are groups of humanitarian organizations, both UN and non-UN, in each of the main sectors of humanitarian action such as water, health, education, food and logistics. They are designated by the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) and have clear responsibilities for enhanced coordination. While the Government has not issued any appeal or declaration for humanitarian support and Eswatini does not have a large scale humanitarian crisis of the type outlined in the UNSG Global Appeal, we are aware that COVID-19 is occurring in Eswatini in a context of underlying extreme poverty and chronic food insecurity with 27% of the population at risk of food insecurity. We are also aware of water standard rations not being met for a few members of Eswatini communities. We are confronted with tackling key drivers of risk such as poverty, lack of clean water and sanitation, violence against women and girls, as well as living conditions in informal settlements and other concentrated areas that may increase the spread of COVID-19. I trust that the Chairs of the Education, Health, Education, Social Protection, WASH, Agriculture &Food and Security and other clusters will provide an overview on the risks and increased vulnerabilities their sectors experience as a result of COVID-19. As the UN, we are particularly concerned about the impact of COVID-19 on vulnerable populations such as those on low-income, elderly, people living with disabilities, people living with HIV, rural poor, children and OVCs, women and youth, migrant workers, people living in concentrated locations such as prisoners, LGBTQI and sex workers. In conclusion, colleagues, COVID-19 is testing our resolve and our resilience. While addressing the everyday emergent challenges and needs, we shall remember to set the stage for a recovery that builds a more sustainable, inclusive and equitable economy, guided by our shared promise — the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development – driven by the 5 Ps: People, Planet, Peace, Prosperity and Partnerships. These principles are even more relevant and more critical in our efforts to address the global crisis brought by COVID-19. I wish us great success in our deliberations today. I am confident that, by the end of the meeting, we will all have a common understanding of the risks and vulnerabilities stemming from COVID-19 in Eswatini and will build the necessary mechanisms for joint work in response to the humanitarian impacts of the pandemic. I thank you.