The money is in addition to the 2 billion USD the UN already called for when it launched its global humanitarian response plan on March 25. It has received about half of that money so far. "The most devastating and destabilizing effects" of the novel coronavirus pandemic "will be felt in the world's poorest countries," UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock said in the statement. 

The full 6.7 billion USD is expected to cover costs of the humanitarian response plan until December. It prioritizes some 20 countries, including several in conflict such as Afghanistan and Syria. The call for donations came as nine more countries were added to the list: Benin, Djibouti, Liberia, Mozambique, Pakistan, Philippines, Sierra Leone, Togo and Zimbabwe.