The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has made an ominous prediction about the global spread of the coronavirus pandemic, warning that up to a billion people could be infected with the virus if the necessary measures are not taken.

In particular, the International Rescue Committee says that financial and humanitarian assistance is needed in the most vulnerable countries to stop the spread of the virus to corners of the world, which have far fewer means to defend themselves against the spread of the pandemic.

Indicatively, the IRC report emphasizes the need to immediately strengthen “fragile countries”, such as Afghanistan and Syria, to avoid a major outbreak of the virus, which could infect large sections of the population. According to the agency, a spread of the corona in dozens of unstable and conflict-affected countries could cause up to three million deaths. Factors such as overcrowding, civil strife and the inadequacy of the state’s health care mechanism greatly increase the risk of mass exacerbations of Covid-19, the IRC reports.

“The absolute, destructive and disproportionate weight of this pandemic has not yet been felt in the most fragile and war-torn countries,” said David Miliband, the organisation’s chief executive.

The International Rescue Committee based its forecasts on data from the World Health Organization and Imperial College London. According to Johns Hopkins University in the United States, the number of new coronaviruses has exceeded three million worldwide, with more than 200,000 deaths.