Christian Aid Warns of Epidemic Impact on Poor Countries

Thursday May 14 2020

Christian Aid has today published a major new report highlighting the impact of Covid-19 on four countries, demonstrating the challenges faced by the poorest and most vulnerable around the world.

The report – published to mark Christian Aid Week, May 10-16 - focuses on four countries where some of the poorest and most vulnerable populations face new challenges as a result of the pandemic: Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Gaza, and the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. These are people already battling endemic poverty, protracted humanitarian crises, long-running conflict, severe food insecurity, economic shocks, displacement and underfunded heath systems, the report warns.

Writing in the foreword to the report, Tipping Point: How the Covid-19 pandemic threatens to push the world’s poorest to the brink of survival, former prime minister Gordon Brown stepped up his urgent plea for international cooperation in the face of the crisis, saying:

“It is in all our interests to prevent a second or third wave starting in the poorest, least protected countries with the most underdeveloped health systems. So a threat to others is a threat to us, and we help ourselves by helping others. Protecting ourselves locally means we need to act globally.”

Sally Foster-Fulton, Head of Christian Aid Scotland, says: “This pandemic highlights, and threatens to deepen, the existing inequalities and injustices that Christian Aid’s work seeks to address. By taking steps now to minimise the spread of the virus, mitigate the worst effects on people’s livelihoods, and protect existing humanitarian work, governments and organisations on the ground can help to prevent a crisis from escalating into a catastrophe.

“This Christian Aid Week, we have seen people and communities around Scotland rallying to support our work, often in new, virtual ways. It has been truly inspiring, and we are enormously grateful for everyone’s efforts”.

With the traditional door-to-door collections and other fundraising events impossible due to the Coronavirus lockdown, Christian Aid supporters across Scotland have responded in various ways, including:

The Rev Dr Martin Fair will spend his first evening as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland hosting an online quiz in aid of Christian Aid on Saturday evening (May 16) at 8pm. Dr Fair, who has run a series of popular quizzes every Saturday during lockdown, will post the details from his Facebook page.

Church of Scotland minister the Rev Martin Johnstone is running 10k every day for 30 days in May – in total, the equivalent of Glasgow to Inverness. You can sponsor him on his Justgiving page.

The 25th Stirling (Dunblane) Boys’ Brigade company posted a video requesting donations to their Christian Aid e-Envelope.

St Mary’s Church, Motherwell set its junior church a Christian Aid fundraising challenge which was met with everything from exercise to crafting.

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