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Pacific aid welcome but may come at cost

Much needed support for the Pacific highlights inadequate aid funding bucket
20 May 2020

Save the Children welcomes the Australian Government’s announcement of $100 million in support for Pacific nation economies in response to the global coronavirus pandemic. 

The safety and wellbeing of children in the Pacific will be enhanced by stable local economies that continue to support health, education and protection programs targeting the most vulnerable. 

To properly account for the unprecedented impact of Covid-19 however Save the Children urges the Government to invest greater resources to support the lives and livelihoods of people in the Pacific. 

In welcoming the announcement, Deputy CEO for Save the Children Australia, Mat Tinkler reiterated how critical it is to support Pacific nations, and their most vulnerable people, at this time. 

“While coronavirus may not have reached a number of Pacific island nations yet, the economic effects of the global pandemic are well and truly taking a toll,” said Mr Tinkler. 

“We welcome the urgently-needed funding to help stabilise Pacific economies from the Australian Government.”

“The need to support livelihoods in the region is crucial, but it should not come at the cost of supporting the most vulnerable.” 


Save the Children Australia urges the Australian Government to provide additional investment to account for impact of Covid-19 on the lives and livelihoods of those in developing countries, particularly in our region. 

“This is an emergency on an unprecedented scale and the needs of those in the Pacific cannot possibly be met by scraping together from within the existing bucket of funding,” said Mr Tinkler.

“Australia’s strategic international investments, including aid, should be increased overall to take account of the impact of COVID-19 in developing countries.”

“We must step-up our support for the most vulnerable in our region and around the globe – after all, our health security is only as strong as our neighbours’.”

Save the Children is supporting governments in Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu to respond to the global coronavirus threat through the dissemination of important public health and hygiene messages in the community, and by supporting ongoing access to education. 

The leading child rights organisation has also adapted many of its programs to ensure vital health, education and protection services continue to be provided to vulnerable children and their communities. 

To support Save the Children’s work in the Pacific donate to our Covid-19 Crisis Appeal here

ENDS

For media inquiries contact Kimberley Gardiner on 0437 435 777.

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