By Vera Shawiza
The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), in collaboration
with the Delegation of the European Union to Kenya and the United
Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) handed over medical
supplies to the Government of Kenya at the Kenya Medical Training
College (KMTC), Karen Campus.
Dr. Fatuma Ibrahim Adan representing the Executive Secretary (ES) for
IGAD (Dr. Workneh Gebeyehu), the Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS)
for Health of Kenya, Hon Dr. Rashid Aman, H.E Simon Mordue, the Head of
the European Union Delegation to Kenya, the Ambassador of Germany to
Kenya Annett Günther, the country representative for UNOPS, Rainer
Frauenfeld and other delegates participated in the brief handover
ceremony for medical supplies to Government of Kenya.
The supplies are part of the EU-IGAD COVID-19 Response project in the
IGAD region and consists of assortment of Personal Protective Equipment
(PPE), Laboratory test kits for COVID-19 (25,056 tests), two standard
ambulance, one advanced ambulance and a mobile laboratory worth 1.9
million Euros. They will be put in use at cross-border areas. Two
ambulances and the mobile laboratory are expected in the country at a
later date and will be handed over to the respective priority cross
border site in the country. Similar events are planned at all the IGAD
member countries.
In a short intervention in front of media practitioners invited to the
event, Dr Fatuma representing IGAD, expressed her satisfaction ‘to
witness that the supplies meant to fight COVID-19 have reached the
people they were intend to reach: cross border communities here in
Kenya, the people in need of these supplies.
The EU has responded to us immediately after the IGAD Summit on COVID-
19. We are aspiring to be very close to the communities. We thank the
government of Kenya, our partners, the European Union, UNOPS, Germany
Embassy, World Food Program (WFP), GIZ, International organization for
Migration (IOM), Trade Mark East Africa (TMEA) and all other partners
working with IGAD. IGAD is working very closely with each and every
one of you in different areas’, Dr. Fatuma said, on behalf of the ES
IGAD, Dr. Workneh.
The European Union allocated a 60 million Euros package to help tackle
the health and socio-economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, in
support of IGAD in its mandate to coordinate national responses to the
COVID-19 pandemic in the Horn of Africa. It is part of the Team Europe
Global Response package (EU and its member states) to support partner
countries’ intervention to the pandemic and its consequences.
The project focuses on vulnerable groups, including migrants, refugees,
internally displaced persons, and cross-border communities, including
more than euro 13 million worth of medical supplies and equipment.
Main activities include the provision of health responses, WASH
services, prevention of gender-based violence and risk communication.
The project also helps ensure borders and critical supply chains so
they are safe for trade. Through the component managed by GIZ, it also
promotes digital solutions to monitor the crisis. The project aims to
support more than 1 million people across the region.
To ensure its regional and multi-sectoral dimensions, UNOPS manages the
project with implementing partners – IGAD, International Organization
for Migration (IOM), TradeMark East Africa (TMEA) and the United
Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). GIZ manages the digitalisation
component.
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