08 June
A special flight bringing medical supplies donated by the World Health Organization-WHO to support the Ministry of Health and Sports in fighting against the COVID-19 landed at Yangon International Airport at 11 am yesterday.
The special flight arranged by the World Food Programme carried medical supplies including personal protective equipment-PPEs, medicines, laboratory equipment and reagents worth US$10,000 and they will be handed over to the Ministry of Health and Sports.
WFP Myanmar's Deputy Country Director Mr. Walid Ibrahim said the flight brought into the country about $10,000 worth of medical equipment, including reagents. This cargo will be handed over to the Ministry of Health and Sports in our help as the United Nations towards the Government's endeavor in handling COVID-19 pandemic and to help them in what they are trying to achieve in the country.” Under the humanitarian flights plan between Yangon and Malaysia, similar flights arranged by WFP carrying medical supplies arrived Yangon on 10, 17 and 24 May.
On 10 May, a flight arranged by the WFP brought medical supplies including test kits donated by the Gavi (Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation) under the programme of the UNICEF to Myanmar.
On 17 May, the similar flight carrying PPEs and accessories procured by the WFP and medicines donated by the WHO arrived in Yangon and they were handed over to the Ministry of Health and Sports. The first three flights were operated with the funding of the European Union and Swiss Government.
As of last week, this plan has shifted towards WFP's Global Logistics Service Provision Plan that aims at connecting logistics hubs around the world in order to provide an essential link with countries that needs to bring in cargo.
Under the plan, medical supplies including PPEs and laboratory equipment worth $16,686 were brought by a relief flight on 31st May.
Similarly, India, China, the Republic of Korea, Singapore and Japan provided Myanmar with the medical supplies in support of fighting against against the COVID- 19.
Zaw Gyi (Translated by KZL)
