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<p>Multilateral organisations, including the United Nations, International Financial
Institutions and the Commonwealth, have an important role to play in the global response
to COVID-19. We are working with all our international partners in order to galvanise
a stronger global effort.</p><p>We are preventing the poorest countries, which represent
a quarter of the world’s population, from collapse by supporting their economies and
access to skills and education. Economic disruption hits the world’s poor the most,
and would deepen a global recession, making it harder for all of us to bounce back
and prosper.</p><p>DFID has programming and/or a presence in 40 of the 54 Commonwealth
member countries. We have assessed existing DFID bilateral programmes that are relevant,
wholly or in part, for our response to COVID-19. Some existing DFID bilateral programmes
are already being adapted to support vulnerable communities affected by COVID-19 in
partner countries. For example, in Bangladesh UKAID is providing a package of assistance
that includes support towards the Government’s National Preparedness and Response
Plan for COVID-19 and help to maintain essential humanitarian services. It is also
helping to prepare Rohingya and host communities for COVID-19 preparedness in the
Rohingya refugee camps. Further changes to bilateral programmes will be considered
in response to the evolving situation.</p><p>We will continue to engage with Governments
and international organisations in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and ensure
that the perspectives and interests of Commonwealth member states – particularly the
smallest and most vulnerable – are well understood in international fora.</p>
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