Swiss send Covid aid supplies to Sri Lanka
Posted on June 7th, 2021
Courtesy swissinfo.ch
The Swiss foreign ministry says it has shipped medical supplies to Sri Lanka to help the country combat the Covid-19 pandemic.This content was published on June 7, 2021 – 18:36June 7, 2021 – 18:36swissinfo.ch/ug
The supplies include half a million antigen tests, 50 ventilators, 150 oxygen concentrators and testing material worth CHF3.5 million ($3.9 million).
An aircraft bound for Colombo left Zurich with 16 tonnes of supplies on board on Monday, according to a foreign ministry statementExternal link.
The Swiss embassy to Sri Lanka is in close contact with the local authorities to ensure that the supplies are distributed fairly and in line with humanitarian principle”, it added.
Last year, Switzerland also contributed CHF1 million to Sri Lanka’s efforts to contain the pandemic.
It is the third Covid supply mission by the Swiss Humanitarian Aid unit to a country in south-east Asia.
In recent weeks, 13 tonnes of supplies were sent to India and 30 tonnes to Nepal.
The Swiss foreign ministry says its aid unit is ready to provide as much support as it can upon request.