First UN Solidarity Flight Departs to Addis Ababa Carrying Vital COVID-19 Medical Supplies for All African Countries

Today, the first “United Nations” solidarity flight should leave Addis Ababa in Ethiopia – from there the aircraft will transport vital medical cargo to all countries in Africa, where supplies are desperately needed to curb the spread of COVID-19.

WHO cargo is carried by the World Food Program (WFP) and includes face shields, gloves, glasses, gowns, masks, medical aprons and thermometers, as well as fans.

The burden also includes a large amount of medical supplies donated by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and the Jack Ma Foundation Initiative to reverse COVID-19 in Africa. The African Union, through the African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), provides technical support and coordination for the distribution of supplies.

“Commercial flights are well-founded and the medical burden is stuck. We can stop this virus in its tracks, but we need to work together. WFP is committed to getting vital first-line medical supplies and protecting medical professionals to save lives,” said David Beasley. executive director of WFP. “Our air bridges need to be fully funded for this, and we are ready to transport health and humanitarian workers as well as medical supplies,” he added.

“The solidarity flight is part of a larger effort to deliver life-saving medical supplies to 95 countries,” said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “I would like to thank the African Union, the UAE and Ethiopian governments, the Jack Ma Foundation and all our partners for their solidarity with African countries at this critical time in history.”

The WHO’s key burden includes one million face masks, as well as personal protective equipment that will be sufficient to protect healthcare professionals while treating more than 30,000 patients across the continent and in laboratory supplies to support surveillance and detection.

“The African Union appreciates the efforts of our partners – the World Health Organization, the World Food Program, the Jack Ma Foundation / Prime Minister Abi Ahmed – in supporting the African-continental strategy to respond to COVID-19. Medical supplies are urgently needed at this critical time when there is not enough medical supplies around the world, “said Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chair of the African Union Commission. “The African Union will continue to provide the necessary coordination and resources to ensure that our Member States are able to meet the needs for health services during this pandemic,” he added.

“We have seen healthcare professionals sacrifice communicable diseases while working in hospitals and sometimes die,” said Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa. “This is unacceptable. These personal protective equipment will help them be safe. Who is committed to protecting those who come first in health care.”

The WHO Logistics Center in Dubai, which employs a team of seven workers, works non-stop on the shipment of more than 130 consignments of PPE and laboratory supplies to 95 countries in all six WHO regions.

“Thanks to the United Arab Emirates government’s generous support of this operation, the WHO Regional Logistics Center in Dubai has played a key role in ensuring that supplies are prepared and delivered where they are most needed. This is by far the largest single shipment since the start of the pandemic that will ensure that people living in countries with some of the poorest health systems can be tested and treated while ensuring that frontline health workers are properly protected, “said Dr. Ahmed Al Mandhari , WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean.

WFP and WHO thank Ethiopian government for helping WFP set up Addis Ababa Humanitarian Airlines this week to help transport protective equipment, medical supplies and humanitarian workers across Africa to respond to COVID-19 as well as provide medical evacuation for humanitarian aid .

A team of 25 WFP airline and logistics staff is stationed at the Bole Airport in Addis Ababa, which manages the 24-hour operation. They operate a dry bulk cargo storage area, temperature controlled refrigerator and further air transportation. WFP also provides dedicated cargo monitoring, warehouse management and customer service to countries across Africa in collaboration with CDC Africa.

“Medical resources are timely because the continent still has the ability to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Collective and rapid actions such as the solidarity flight are therefore critical,” said John Nkengasong, Director of the African CDC.

As part of a global appeal to raise $ 2 billion to respond to COVID-19, launched by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on March 25, WFP is calling for $ 350 million to establish vital humanitarian hubs worldwide to facilitate storage and the shipment of basic medical cargo, establishing air transport links for cargo and staff, chartering leasing services for shipping services, and providing passenger air and Medevac services for humanitarian and health care workers. This includes such solidarity flights through Addis Ababa. Currently, WFP has received only 24% ($ 84 million) of the $ 350 million needed to provide these vital community services to the global humanitarian community.

# # #

About WFP

The United Nations World Food Program is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, which saves lives in emergencies, builds prosperity and supports a sustainable future for people recovering from the conflicts, disasters and impacts of climate change. Learn more at www.wfp.org.

ABOUT WHO

WHO is the United Nations specialized agency for health. It is an intergovernmental organization and operates in cooperation with its Member States, usually through health ministries. WHO is responsible for leading global health issues, designing health research programs, setting norms and standards, articulating evidence-based options, providing country technical support, and monitoring and evaluating health trends. Learn more at www.who.int.

About the African CDC

The African CDC is a specialized technical institution of the African Union that supports Member States in their efforts to strengthen health systems and improve surveillance, emergency response, prevention and disease control. For more information. Learn more at: https://africacdc.org/.

Follow us on Twitter @wfp_media @WHO