Russian assistance to African countries in countering the coronavirus

In connection with the pandemic, Russia received requests from 29 African states and the African Union to assist in countering the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. At present, assistance has been given to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (28,000 units of disposable laboratory materials and over 8,000 units of individual protection gear); Djibouti (over 20 multi-purpose medical modules, tents and component parts for two medical clinics), South Africa (50 test system kits) and Guinea (test systems for 6,600 tests). The logistics for delivering medical equipment and materials to Conakry (Guinea) are being worked out with United Company RUSAL and Rospotrebnadzor (Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Protection and Welfare).

Also, food supplies have been sent to the Comoro Islands (172 tonnes) and Madagascar (about 500 tonnes).

This year, Russia plans to make an additional annual contribution of $10 million to the UN World Food Programme (to be distributed equally between Burundi, Djibouti, Somalia, Sierra Leone and the Central African Republic) and to allocate $10 million to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) fund for fighting a massive locust onslaught in East Africa (to be distributed between Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia – $3 million each and South Sudan– $1 million).

This work will be continued.

The Embassy of the Russian Federation

in the Republic of Botswana