The Pacific humanitarian air service launched a flight, delivering 6.5 tonnes of essential medical cargo and moving humanitarian personnel to support the COVID-19 response in Fiji, Kiribati, and Nauru.
Cargo on-board included personal protective equipment such as face shields, masks, surgical gowns, as well as ventilators and testing cartridges, transported on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Kiribati, the World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC), the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Australian Government.
“With border closures and quarantine restrictions continuing to stress supply chains across the region, WFP is proud to be able to serve the Pacific Island community by coordinating and delivering this much-needed service and is grateful to the US and Australian Governments whose funding will ensure the viability of this service for months to come,” said Jo Pilgrim, Director of WFP’s Pacific Multi-Country Office.
WFP’s Pacific humanitarian air service supports the work of the Pacific Humanitarian Pathway on COVID-19 – a regional coordination platform established by the 18 countries of the Pacific Islands Forum to facilitate the timely and rapid movement of medical and humanitarian assistance across the region. It is also part of the greater Pacific Humanitarian Team COVID-19 Response Plan – a comprehensive regional response plan that seeks to consolidate efforts by UN agencies, governments, regional and multilateral organizations, NGOs, donors and development partners.
Original source: WFP
