The European Union, EU, and the United Nations World Food Program, WFP, are cooperating on three EU Humanitarian Air Bridge (EU HAB) flights, destined for Abuja.
It would be transporting 52 metric tons of medical equipment and vital health supplies to support the COVID-19 response in Nigeria.
In a joint statement, the EU and WFP said the COVID-19 disease risks exacerbating humanitarian needs in Nigeria, where there are 7.9million people in need of urgent humanitarian aid, in the North-East.
They hinted that humanitarian needs have already scaledup their response in reaction to the new challenges.
It is also in line with the national COVID-19 Response Plan, through medical case management, setting up hand washing stations, quarantine shelters, and providing food assistance to people in need.
The EU and WFP said it is important to come together in an urgent and coordinated response to the pandemic and it is in that spirit that the EU and WFP are cooperating to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to Nigeria and other parts of the world.
According to head of EU’s Humanitarian Aid Operations office in Nigeria, Thomas Conan, the need for urgent humanitarian cargo is paramount, to help prevent, contain and treat COVID-19, which threatens every country’s population, worldwide.
Also Read: Akwa Ibom State gets Covid-19 testing centre
The EU is one of the lead contributors to humanitarian aid in Nigeria.
It provides assistance to cover the vital needs of the most vulnerable internally displaced people and host communities in the country.
Since 2014, the EU has allocated over €275 million in humanitarian aid to people in need in Nigeria, including €33.8 million in 2020.
