UN Sub-regional Team Updates Governments on the Progress of the MRP Fund Appeal

The MRP and US$29.7 million Fund Appeal ,which was launched on May 6, is a  multi-sectoral and integrated framework to contain the spread of the pandemic, minimise its socio-economic impact and promote the protection of the most vulnerable. The MRP has amplified advocacy efforts for resource mobilization for SIDS and to date US $ 27.88 has been mobilised for the whole COVID response, with US$ 21.6 M specifically earmarked to the MRP appeal as mobilized.

In addressing the virtual forum, UN Resident Coordinator, Dider Trebucq said that the COVID-19 response is a tangible example of how the UN Reform is more effective in serving each country distinctively better.

“As One UN, we have been primarily supporting the health response with the  technical leadership of PAHO , as well as the socio-economic response where UNDP has taken the lead ,along with 11 other UN agencies, which have contributed with their technical expertise and resources,” he stated.

Members of the Sub-Regional team discussed the progress made to date in implementing the MRP across the eight primary Pillars; health and wellness, food nutrition security, economic recovery, education, social protection, gender-based violence and violence against children, human rights, and logistics and supply chain management.

PAHO Representive, Dr. Yitades Gebre, told government partners their response to the crisis is to save lives, protect the health and well-being of frontline workers and suppress transmission. To this end he revealed that PAHO had supported governments by providing 250, 000 PPE kits and 50, 000 COVID-19 testing kits, as well as providing training on COVID-19 testing to Governments, and free mental health training and psychosocial support to parents/caregivers, community leaders, teachers`, frontline workers and children in collaboration with UNICEF. The two entities also supported Ministries of Health with risk communication and community engagement (RCCE) activities reaching a total of 272,853 persons to date.

UNICEF’s primary contribution  entailed the provision of technical and risk communication support, support for online learning, through the provision of COVID-19 prevention and control in schools and school connectivity.

UNICEF Representative, Aloys Kamuragiye, emphasised that was the first time in history globally that education had been so adversely impacted with over 1.5 billion youth impacted by COVID, with thousands across the Caribbean unable to access tablets for online learning.  

“As countries lift their lock-downs, schools need to be among the first spaces to reopen, because there is evidence that suggests that schools and children are not the main drivers of COVID-19,” he maintained.

UN Women Deputy Representative, Tonni Brodber said , priority has been placed on technical support to strengthen prevention efforts as well as response. “We have been looking on how to best integrate violence prevention and response into COVID-19 response plans, to raise awareness through advocacy and campaigns with targeted messages both for women and men, as well as provide options for women to report abuse and seek help without alerting perpetrators. The fact that most people will be home in this stage means that it is a really critical aspect,” she explained.

UNDP Resident Representative, Magdy Martinez-Soliman, lauded UN Women in leading the charge in support of women economic empowerment. He noted: “Because it has been the tourism industry that has come to a halt and because women are so important, especially in the tourism industry, we feel that the response needs to be particularly emphatic in supporting women’s economic empowerment and financial inclusion”.

Social Protection is already playing a key role in the response to COVID-19. WFP is supporting Caribbean governments in three main areas; social assistance, technical support for expanding social insurance and analysis and assessment.

“All governments in the sub region and ,even beyond, throughout the Caribbean and many countries globally, are turning to social protection as a key instrument to address the socio- economic impacts of COVID-19 on people living in poverty, marginalized populations and also persons newly unemployed,” remarked Head of Office of WFP, Regis Chapman.

FAO Sub-regional Coordinator, Renata Clarke emphasised that the COVID-19 crisis has made it clear that economic diversification is imperative. “My contribution to the UN team here in the area of agriculture, forestry and fisheries, is to find ways of creating employment or viable businesses in those sectors. I can say that pre- COVID, for the last couple years, FAO has recognized the need for us to raise our game in terms of treating agriculture like a business. We now have to step it up even more in terms of creating those opportunities,” she maintained.

Regional Government leaders reiterated their appreciation for the COVID-19 support rendered by the Resident Coordinator’s Office and the UNST, while stressing the need for a more long-term response.

Efforts are underway to expand the MRP Fund appeal for the next 18 months, with an expanded version expected to be in place by October.