Nearly five million items of personal protective equipment (PPE) were delivered to Ethiopia by the EU, on Tuesday 1 September, to support the eight countries that make up the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) bloc, in their fight against the coronavirus, the European Commission announced on Tuesday evening.
This includes Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda.
The shipment, part of the EU's global response to the pandemic, contained 3.5 million surgical masks, 700,000 disposable respirator masks and 7,000 protective gowns.
The equipment was procured by UNOPS (United Nations Office for Project Services).
The coming weeks, 70,000 test kits, eight mobile labs and 24 ambulances will be sent, the Commission says.
The €60 million EU programme, which finances these operations, focuses on vulnerable groups, including migrants, refugees, internally displaced persons and cross-border communities.
It will enable IGAD to set up an emergency coordination unit and country-level rapid regional response teams for smooth coordination between state actors and development partners.
Health services will reach more than 400,000 people, with over half a million people able to access critical water, sanitation and hygiene supplies. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)