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“We stand firmly by Namibia’s side”
The second flight landed yesterday., © Botschaft Windhuk
Namibia is suffering greatly from the COVID-19 pandemic. Germany is sending aid supplies worth approximately 11 million euro to the region. The second flight landed yesterday.
The goods that Germany is delivering to Namibia at the moment to support the country’s efforts to overcome the COVID-19 crisis will not only help to care for COVID patients, but will also protect medical staff from getting infected. The donations include around 50 ventilation devices, protective equipment, pulse oximeters and hospital beds.
Minister of State Michelle Müntefering issued the following statement on the first delivery to Namibia on 8 July:
The current COVID situation in Namibia is deeply concerning. We stand firmly by our Namibian partners at this difficult time. I am therefore very pleased that we were able to bring an initial delivery of protective equipment and hospital beds to Windhoek today. In the coming days and weeks we will provide Namibia with medical supplies worth around 11 million euro, including ventilation equipment.
On 15 July, a second shipment was brought to Windhoek by the Bundeswehr, including 20,000 pairs of protective goggles and 40,000 antigen tests. Further deliveries of ventilators and vaccines are expected to arrive in the coming weeks. On 23 June, Germany delivered 462,000 surgical masks in Windhoek in coordination with the World Health Organization.
The Federal Government has been helping Namibia in many ways since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) supports the Namibian Government within the framework of the Global Health Protection Programme (GHPP), which is primarily focused on the detection of and research into diseases and possible variants. Moreover, starting in August, the RKI is seconding a staff member for three and a half years to provide support on the ground.
Namibia has received nearly 43 million euro in support from the Federal Government’s Emergency COVID-19 Support Programme since 2020. The funds are also intended to help mitigate the impact of restrictions put in place owing to the pandemic. Specifically, the aim is to stabilise the Namibian economy, prevent bankruptcies and safeguard jobs. On the other hand, it is important to continue to protect nature and biodiversity during the pandemic, thus preserving the livelihoods of the Namibian population. A similar amount of funding is available for these objectives in 2021.
Targeted vaccine delivery to Namibia planned
The pandemic can only be overcome if it is brought under control worldwide. In addition to bilateral support for partners with medical supplies and protective equipment, the Federal Government is therefore also committed to combating the COVID-19 pandemic at the multilateral level.
Minister of State Müntefering said the following in this regard:
Germany is contributing 1.6 billion euro to the vaccine platform COVAX, making us the second largest donor, and will also be providing at least 30 million doses to countries in need, primarily via COVAX. We are examining how we can support Namibia as rapidly as possible as part of these efforts.