Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

UK charities launch appeal to help fragile states fight coronavirus

BRITISH charities launched an appeal on Tuesday (14) to help protect millions of people at heightened risk of coronavirus in the world's most fragile states, and provide protective equipment for frontline health workers.

Aid agencies warned that Covid-19 could cause a humanitarian disaster as it hits refugee and displacement camps and war-torn countries such as Syria, Somalia and Yemen.


People living in crowded camps cannot socially distance and have limited access to handwashing facilities or basic medical supplies if they fall ill.

Malnutrition and chronic ill-health mean the death rate from the virus is also likely to be higher in camps than elsewhere, said Saleh Saeed, chief executive of the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), which launched the appeal.

The DEC is an alliance of 14 leading British aid agencies including ActionAid, Oxfam, Save the Children, Christian Aid and Islamic Relief.

About 570,000 people have died from coronavirus worldwide, with the highest death tolls in the US, Brazil and Britain.

But Saeed said the official death tolls in fragile states were inaccurate.

"Look at Yemen - the official death toll is ridiculously 364, yet every day we're seeing the graveyards full and the cemetery workers saying 'we're struggling to cope'."

Around 24 million people have been displaced from their homes in the six countries at the centre of the appeal - Yemen, Syria, Somalia, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Afghanistan.

The appeal will also focus on Rohingya refugees living in the world's biggest refugee camp in Bangladesh, home to 850,000 people.

The money raised will provide people with clean water and soap, and food to prevent malnutrition, particularly among children.

Saeed said people were having to choose between staying at home and starving with their children or going out to work or find food, putting themselves at risk of catching coronavirus.

"These are the stark choices people are having to make," he added. "In the UK we can stay indoors, lock ourselves in, and everything is provided. That's not a luxury these communities have."

The proceeds of the appeal will also be used to provide frontline medical staff and aid workers with equipment and supplies to protect themselves and help care for the sick.

"We've heard stories in places like Aden in Yemen where doctors had to shut hospitals and clinics because they didn't have the necessary protective equipment," Saeed said.

"Doctors have died because they've taken the risks without the equipment."

More For You

Mounjaro price rise

Eli Lilly has agreed a discounted supply deal for its weight-loss drug Mounjaro

iStock

Mounjaro’s highest dose to rise from £122 to £247.50, not £330

Highlights:

  • Eli Lilly had announced a steep price rise of up to 170% for Mounjaro.
  • A new discount deal with UK suppliers will limit the increase for patients.
  • Pharmacies will still apply a mark-up, but consumer costs are expected to rise less than initially feared.
  • NHS pricing remains unaffected due to separate arrangements.

Eli Lilly has agreed a discounted supply deal for its weight-loss drug Mounjaro, easing fears of a sharp rise in costs for UK patients. The new arrangement means that, from September, pharmacies and private services will face smaller wholesale increases than first expected, limiting the impact on consumers.

Why the price rise was announced

Earlier this month, Eli Lilly said it would raise Mounjaro’s list price by as much as 170%, which could have pushed the highest monthly dose from £122 to £330. The company argued that UK pricing needed to align more closely with higher costs in Europe and the United States.

Keep ReadingShow less
chicken-pox-istock

The Department of Health said the rollout would reduce missed days at nursery and school, cut time parents take off work, and save the NHS about £15 million a year. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

England to introduce free chickenpox vaccine for children from 2026

CHILDREN in England will be offered a free chickenpox vaccine for the first time from January 2026, the government has announced.

GP practices will give eligible children a combined vaccine for measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (MMRV) as part of the routine childhood vaccination schedule. Around half a million children each year are expected to be protected.

Keep ReadingShow less
Naga Munchetty urges women to prioritise their health

Naga Munchetty

Naga Munchetty urges women to prioritise their health

WHEN broadcaster and journalist Naga Munchetty began speaking openly about her experiences with adenomyosis and debilitating menstrual pain, the response was overwhelming.

Emails and messages poured in from women who had endured years of dismissal, silence and shame when it came to their health. That outpouring became the driving force behind her new book, It’s Probably Nothing, which calls for women to be heard and to advocate for themselves in a medical system that has too often ignored them.

Keep ReadingShow less
London temple project for Shree Banke Bihari launched

London temple project for Shree Banke Bihari launched

Mahesh Liloriya

The Shree Kunj Bihari Vrindavan (UK) Temple has officially launched its project to establish a grand home for Shree Banke Bihari in London.

The inaugural event, held in Harrow from 4 pm, featured devotional chants, the Deep Pragtya ceremony, and a presentation outlining the temple’s vision. Speaking at the gathering, Shalini Bhargava described the planned temple as “a spiritual home promoting bhakti, unity and seva for generations to come.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Dickie and Watt

Dickie and Watt launched BrewDog at the age of 24

Getty Images

BrewDog co-founder Martin Dickie leaves after 17 years as James Watt steps back

Highlights:

  • Martin Dickie has announced his departure from BrewDog and the alcohol industry.
  • He co-founded the Ellon-based brewer with James Watt in 2007.
  • Dickie cited family time and personal reasons for his exit.
  • His departure follows recent bar closures as part of a company restructuring.
  • BrewDog confirmed no further leadership changes will follow.

BrewDog co-founder Martin Dickie has announced he is leaving the Scottish brewer and the wider alcohol industry for “personal reasons.” Dickie, who founded the Ellon-based business with James Watt in 2007, said he wanted to spend more time with his family after more than two decades in brewing and distilling.

Early beginnings

Dickie and Watt launched BrewDog at the age of 24, starting from a garage in Fraserburgh and selling hand-filled bottles from a van at local markets. The company grew rapidly to become one of the UK’s best-known craft brewers.

Keep ReadingShow less