Last modified on Wed 27 Jan 2021 18.24 EST
A permanent disaster fund to deal with future pandemics, the climate crisis and natural disasters should be proposed by the G7, senior UN and humanitarian figures have said.
Such a fund would reduce the need to resort to an emergency begging bowl. When Covid-19 hit the globe just 2% of the needed funding was ready in advance, advocates of the plan say.
The alliance includes Mark Lowcock, the head of the UN’s office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs, Amir Abdulla, the deputy director of the UN food programme, David Miliband, the head of the International Rescue Committee, Jagan Chapagain the head of the International Red Cross, and one of Number 10’s most trusted development advisers, Prof Paul Collier. Support also comes from Unicef, and a host of other humanitarian agencies.