Australia supports Pacific response to CoViD-19 [1]
Thursday, June 4, 2020 - 18:40
The Australian Government is supporting an initiative to ensure humanitarian and medical supplies are delivered to Pacific Island countries, including Tonga, to mitigate the impacts of CoViD-19.
The Pacific Humanitarian Pathway initiative, established by the Pacific Islands Forum, will ensure a passage is provided for these supplies amid global supply chain disruptions.
Australia will provide $5.5 million to the World Food Programme to manage CoViD-19 in the region, with $4 million going towards air transport and logistics services for the Pacific Humanitarian Pathway.
This includes the delivery of humanitarian and critical medical supplies, including Personal Protective Equipment, and assessments of the impact of CoViD-19 on food security in the Pacific.
In addition, Australia will also commit $3.5 million to the World Health Organization (WHO) CoViD-19 Pacific Health Sector Support Plan (phase II) which will facilitate the delivery of health advice and supplies to Pacific Island countries.
In a joint statement released today, Hon Simon Kofe, Chair of the Pacific Islands Forum Foreign Ministers, and also Tuvalu’s Minister for Justice, Communication & Foreign Affairs, welcomed the initiative.
“Australia’s support will ensure that the Pacific Humanitarian Pathway will be able to deliver much needed humanitarian and medical supplies in response to the CoViD-19 pandemic.”
Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Hon Marise Payne said as a member of the Pacific Islands Forum, Australia is doing its part to operationalise the Pacific Humanitarian Pathway including through the implementation of protocols for freight and passengers that minimise the risk of CoViD-19 transmission.
While Australia’s Minister for International Development and the Pacific, Hon Alex Hawke MP said this funding means, in partnership with the Pacific Islands Forum, we are able to assist in the successful passage of vital supplies through the region as we continue that fight.
Australia’s support for the Pacific’s regional response to CoViD-19 was welcome by Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat Dame Meg Taylor.
“We are working together to deliver an efficient and effective Pacific Humanitarian Pathway, and are ensuring Pacific voices and ownership are at the heart of our response to CoViD-19.”
In April, a donation of PPE for Pacific Islands [2] from the Jack Ma Foundation was supplied through the Pacific Humanitarian Pathway.