WFP Regional Bureau for the Middle East, North Africa (MENA), Central Asia & Eastern Europe COVID-19 Situation Report #7, 1 - 14 May 2020
HIGHLIGHTS
Humanitarian needs around the world remain staggeringly high. In this region alone, WFP is focusing on maintaining its food assistance programmes which offer a lifeline to nearly 26.5 million people.
It is vital at this time of global crisis that WFP maintains its regular assistance while also investing in the scaleup of operations to support newly impacted populations affected by COVID-19. WFP estimates that up to 8* million additional people in this region could soon require assistance due to the socio-economic impact of the virus.
The socio-economic effects on an already fragile region are of utmost concern. WFP is focusing its range of responses on the impact of this global pandemic on a region where war, famine, financial collapse and political unrest threaten to compound the effects of the disease.
WFP is aiming to support social protection responses by Governments through the national social protection systems and to initiate livelihoods recovery to mitigate socioeconomic impacts.