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Belgium has decided to provide emergency aid to India, which is facing a particularly virulent wave of COVID-19. This aid consists of 9000 vials of Remdesivir, an antiviral drug used in the treatment of COVID-19. These vials come from the strategic stock of the FPS Public Health. This emergency aid will leave in principle this Friday April 30.

Today, Belgium is sending 760,000 masks to Conakry via the emergency aid mechanism B-FAST. In doing so, our country is responding to the request for aid that Guinea submitted to the EU Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) as part of the fight against COVID-19. Like the rest of the world, Guinea has been affected by the pandemic. However, the health situation is further complicated by a measles epidemic, an epidemic of yellow fever and recently also some new Ebola infections which together put an enormous strain on the medical facilities. Belgium wishes to express its solidarity with the Guinean population, which is undergoing a great deal of suffering.

In view of its difficulties in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic in its hospitals, Slovakia has activated the European Civil Protection Mechanism (ECPM). The request formiulated is a temporary reinforcement of the intensive care capacities (related to COVID-19).

Following the fire that broke out at the reception center for asylum seekers in Moria on the island of Lesbos in Greece, Belgium has decided to send a 13-person emergency medical team under the B-FAST mechanism, which involves Defence, Interior, Public Health, Bosa, Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation.

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Defence, Philippe Goffin, just announced that a C130 military transport aircraft will leave from Melsbroek to Beirut tonight at 8pm with urgent medical and humanitarian equipment for the victims of the huge explosion. Besides the victims and wounded, the enormous devastation has also left many people homeless. To help them, material for temporary shelter will also be sent along.

At the request of the Greek government, Belgium has decided to send humanitarian goods through the B-FAST emergency mechanism. Greece called on the European coordination mechanism to assist them tackling the humanitarian emergency linked to the growing migratory pressure at their borders.

On the night of 26 November 2019, the Republic of Albania was hit by a violent earthquake measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale. Dozens of victims lost their lives and hundreds were injured. In the affected areas around the port city of Durres, many houses have been damaged. Through the emergency mechanism B-FAST, relief workers were immediately ready to respond positively to a call for international assistance from the affected country. 

Large parts of South America have been affected by forest fires in the Amazon, including Bolivia. More than 4 million hectares of the Amazon forest already went up in flames. Over 2000 firefighters were deployed throughout the entire area. These are the most devastating fires of the past ten years and the difficult month of September, that traditionally has many fires, has only just begun. The Bolivian authorities therefore asked the international community for help. Our country offers relief supplies through a coordination mechanism of the European Commission. Other European countries such as France, Switzerland and Austria also decided to send specialised assistance.

On Tuesday 2nd of October, Belgium had proposed first help and support to Indonesia via B-FAST. Local technical requirements described by Indonesia, as wel as related organisational requirements, do not allow however to be able to carry out the proposed mission properly.

Following the earthquake and tsunami that struck Sulawesi last Friday, the Coordination Council of B-FAST decided to offer first aid and support to Indonesia.