Finland and EU supports Namibia in the fight against COVID-19

WINDHOEK - Following the rapid surge of COVID-19 cases in Namibia the Government of Namibia through the Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation submitted an official request for support to the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.

The Government of Namibia expresses its gratitude for the prompt response of the Government of Finland, which is donating the urgently-needed personal protection equipment to aid in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic and to the European Commission for the logistical support. The donation is arriving on a special cargo flight in Namibia today (Thursday, 01 July 2021) and will be received by Honourable Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister and H.E. Sinikka Antila, Ambassador of the EU Delegation at the Hosea Kutako International Airport.

Based on the emergency assistance requested by the Namibian authorities from the European Union Member States, Finland is donating a total 2.36 million masks, 200 000 protective visors, 30 000 medical gowns, 100 000 syringes and 189 000 swabs to Namibia to fight the pandemic.

“It has been disheartening to see how Namibia’s health system is under severe strain, and that the hospitals are overwhelmed with coping with the high number of COVID 19 patients. Finland wants to stand in solidarity with the People of Namibia, in this hour of need”, says Matti Karvanen, Deputy Head of the Finnish Mission to Namibia and Chargé d´Affaires, a.i.

The material assistance is delivered through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism as part of the European Union’s joint efforts in fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic. The European Commission is coordinating the pooling of assistance and supports Member States in the arrangement of logistics and in transport costs.

“The EU is responding to an urgent appeal from the people of Namibia” states EU Ambassador to Namibia, H.E. Sinikka Antila. “Through the EU’s Civil Protection Mechanism, we can coordinate and expedite the delivery of life-saving assistance to countries such as Namibia, demonstrating the solidarity of the people of the EU with those countries facing massive challenges due to the coronavirus pandemic.”