Following a new EU Humanitarian Air Bridge flight to South Sudan carrying 41 tonnes of supplies, the Commission has now coordinated and financed the delivery of over 1,100 tons of medical equipment to critical areas in Africa, Asia, and the Americas.
The 45 Air Bridge flights have also transported 1,475 medical and humanitarian staff since its launch on 8 May 2020. To this day, 15 countries have benefited from the EU Humanitarian Air Bridge:
Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea Bissau, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Sao Tome & Principe, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Yemen.
Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič who has been on several Air Bridge flights, said: “The EU has not backed away from global solidarity during the coronavirus pandemic. We need more cooperation and coordination at the international level to really get the pandemic under control. Our EU Air Bridge flights have made a real difference to countries with fragile health systems. We will continue working both at home in Europe and internationally to support our partners facing this common challenge.”
In addition to providing transport capacities, the EU has also provided diplomatic support to facilitate access for humanitarian delivery. The EU is coordinating closely with and complementing UN flight operations managed by the World Food Programme.
Original source: European Union
Published on 29 July 2020
