Since late 2019, coronavirus has affected the lives of millions of people around the world. Fragile states that have already experienced decades of conflict, violence, drought and flooding have been worst affected. In these places, millions of displaced and otherwise vulnerable people already have little access to adequate healthcare, water, food and ways to earn a living. The secondary effects of the pandemic – successive lockdowns and global recession that have crippled economies, inflated food prices and increased unemployment – have pushed vulnerable people closer to the edge.

On 14th July 2020, the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) launched its Coronavirus Appeal to protect vulnerable people living in some of the world’s most fragile places: Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Somalia, South Sudan, Yemen, Syria and Afghanistan, and the Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh. In the first six months, the appeal raised more than £34 million, including £10 million matched by the UK Government.

During the first six months of the response, DEC member charities and their partners provided assistance to thousands of affected families. DEC funds were used to improve water and sanitation infrastructure so that vulnerable displaced families could protect themselves from the virus, to provide personal protective equipment for frontline medical staff and aid workers, and to enable affected people to buy food. This report provides an overview of how funds donated directly to the DEC were spent between July 2020 and the end of January 2021 in seven countries. It does not include funds raised for or spent in India as the Coronavirus Appeal was extended to include India in April 2021.