UN to Allocate USD 1 million to Support Georgia's COVID-19 Response

Georgia is among the 46 countries that were eligible for immediate support from the United Nations COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund to protect vulnerable groups from the shocks of the current pandemic.

The United Nations Multi-Partner Trust Fund for COVID-19 Response and Recovery, an inter-agency finance mechanism, was launched by the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres on 31 March 2020, to help countries mitigate the emergency and bolster the post-crisis social and economic recovery.

On 15 May a proposal of the UN country team in Georgia was approved. It concerns a project of USD 1 million to better respond to the immediate health consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and protect the most vulnerable groups from the devastating socio-economic impacts of the health crisis.

“As we are fighting the Coronavirus outbreak, the primary goal today is to save lives of our citizens, stop the spread of the virus, as well as to contain the economic consequences and to set our economy up for a strong and sustainable recovery. We appreciate all the support from international partners to ensure the smoother transition from the global pandemic to a post-crisis reality,” said Natia Mezvrishvili, Head of the Administration of the Government of Georgia.

“We are immensely grateful to the Governments of the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, and Denmark who have provided the first contribution to enable the work of the United Nations COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund that helps support Georgia’s response to the pandemic and its impacts on human lives and livelihoods”, said Sabine Machl, UN Resident Coordinator in Georgia. “We are responding both to the immediate needs of the health system, in particular the front-line workers, as well as longer-term needs of the most vulnerable and marginalized groups in society and in this program with a specific focus on children and the older people”.

Together with partners, the UN country team in Georgia is determined to support the equipment of front-line workers for the challenges ahead.  Provision of critical hygiene and medical supplies and equipment for healthcare and social and public-sector workers and their beneficiaries are in the focus of this project. Likewise, the support to vulnerable rural households and older people to withstand the shock is also an important component. The project also has a component to improve access to water, sanitation and hygiene in conflict-affected areas, and provide vital support to municipalities and village representatives to deliver critical social services.

A key area of the UN team’s support will be also to address the specific vulnerabilities of older people and support children as well as pregnant and nursing women, providing them with essential health services, education and child protection services including prevention of violence against children as well as risk communication and community engagement.

The project ‘Assisting the Georgian Government and Local Communities in Mitigating the Impact of COVID-19’ will be implemented by UNICEF, UNDP and UNFPA in collaboration with all other UN agencies residents in Georgia.

This assistance is part of UN’s broader COVID-19 response in Georgia to help the authorities respond effectively to this unprecedented crisis. Since the first case of Covid-19 was detected in Georgia on 26 February, the UN country team has supported the Government to prepare and address immediate health needs as well as potential social and economic impacts with a focus on those furthest behind: women, children, older people, refugees, migrants and other vulnerable and marginalized groups.

Source: United Nations Office in Georgia