More than two dozen international aid groups have told the US government they are increasingly alarmed that little to no US humanitarian assistance has reached those on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic, as the number of new cases picks up speed in some of the worlds most fragile regions.

The letter obtained by The Associated Press and signed by groups including Save the Children, Mercy Corps, World Vision and others says that in spite of months of promising conversations with USAID field staff, few organisations have received an executed award for Covid-19 humanitarian assistance.

It calls the delays devastating and says the window is closing for the US to help mitigate the worst impacts of the pandemic around the world.