LocationsFiji's support to national response
Support to the National Response to contain the impact of COVID-19
Situational Analysis
The COVID-19 crisis is a test of resilience for PSIDS, in safeguarding progress against the SDGs, Paris Agreement, and the S.A.M.O.A. Pathway. While the prevalence of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Pacific is relatively limited (only 18 confirmed cases in Fiji and no confirmed cases in other 9 PICTs namely FSM, RMI, Palau, Tuvalu, Tonga, Kiribati, Nauru, Vanuatu and Solomon Islands covered by MCO Fiji) at mid-April 2020, this has already come at a cost of complete lockdown with mounting social and economic consequences, which small island developing countries find themselves hard to manage. It is already clear that the pandemic will not just go away in the near future and it will be accompanied with a significant disruption in the movement of goods, services and people, which in itself will negatively affect such industries as tourism, shipping, fishing, etc. those that constitute a significant share in the overall national product of the region. Those industries incidentally are also the biggest formal and informal employers, and increased unemployment will acerbate already tense social structures particularly affecting vulnerable groups such a women, youth, and small entrepreneurs.
With significant reduction in remittances and lost revenues, Pacific Islands will have hard times to balance their budgets. They will be forced to make hard decisions to juggle between different development priorities to ensure, on the one hand, an adequate stimulus to their economies and maintaining productive capacities and employment, and on the other, provide adequate social services and protection to those needed. This has to happen against the background that all countries are in their difficult development pathways where pre-COVID-19 challenges have not gone away and it is exactly the moment when the UN system along with other international partners need to come to support them to “build back better”.
Areas of interventions
UNDP together with RCO and other UN agencies will be supporting in all 3 pillars.
Socio-economic Impact and Recovery
Socio-economic impact assessment of COVID-19 on 10 Pacific countries in order to advise government on various policy options to build back better.
Inclusive and Integrated Crisis Management
Reprogramming of Parliamentary Development Project in response to requests of Pacific parliaments to enable business continuity despite COVID-19-related restrictions, with focus on parliamentary scrutiny of government response to the pandemic, equipment for remote connection, adaptation of rules and procedures. Further reprogramming of Access to Justice funds towards strengthening police and prison services response. New programming idea in response to request from Vanuatu to Support COVID-19 activities related with the use of citizen data (electoral and civil registries). UNDP is also supporting National Disaster Management Offices in PICTS to coordinate the response.
Strengthening Health Systems
Health System Strengthening through procurement of medical equipment and supplies.
Financial resources
| Areas of Intervention | Required Resources | Resource Allocated | Reprogramming through on-going projects | Resources to be mobilized (Gap) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health system strengthening | $ 1,080,000 | $ 580,000 | $ 500,000 (GFTAM) | |
| Socio-economic impact assessment | $ 417,300 | $ 25,000 | $ 392,300 | |
| Inclusive and integrated crisis management (Governance support) | $ 2,653,410 | $ 1,210,000 | $ 1,443,410 | |
| Total | $ 4,150,710 | $ 605,000 | $ 1,710,000 | $ 1,835,710 |