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On Thursday 23 September, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sophie Wilmès will co-chair a high-level event with European Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič on the impact of COVID-19 on children. This event is organised in the margins of the UN General Assembly, in cooperation with Niger and the NGO Save the Children.

Belgium will deliver 153,900 vaccines to Uganda. These vaccines will contribute to stepping up the vaccination campaign for teachers and reopening schools to more than 10 million pupils and students. With this, Belgium is responding to the Ugandan government's request to receive COVID-19 vaccines.

At its meeting on May 25, 2021, the European Council supported equitable global access to COVID-19 vaccines and welcomed the leadership of the Covax mechanism in this regard. The EU's goal is to donate at least 100 million doses by the end of the year, as well as to help build local production capacity. In this context, Prime Minister Alexander De Croo announced that Belgium's goal is to donate 4 million doses by the end of 2021.

Belgium has decided to provide emergency assistance to Tunisia, following a request transmitted by this country through the European Mechanism of Civil Protection, in the context of the fight against COVID-19. Tunisia is currently facing a serious deterioration of its health situation and a sharp increase in hospitalizations. The country has informed its European partners of specific needs to help it cope with this situation, including in terms of vaccines. The vaccination rate remains very low in the country and the authorities are trying to accelerate the vaccination campaign.

Belgium has decided to provide emergency assistance to Namibia, following a request transmitted by this country through the European Mechanism for Civil Protection, in the context of the fight against COVID-19. In recent weeks, Namibia has been facing a serious deterioration of its health situation and an increase in hospitalizations. This situation is leading to an important need for protective equipment.

Minister of Development Cooperation Meryame Kitir is going to Geneva from June 28 to 30. She will meet with several multilateral partner organizations active in the fields of human rights, health, humanitarian aid and migration. Itclude meetings with the Director-General of WHO, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, the Director-General of ILO, Guy Ryder, the Executive Director of UNAIDS, Winnie Byanyima, the Director-General of IOM, Antonio Vitorino, and the CEO of GAVI (Vaccine Alliance), Seth Berkley. Minister Kitir will take this opportunity to announce Belgian funding for multilateral partner organizations for the period 2021-2024.

Belgium has decided to provide emergency assistance to Nepal, following a request transmitted by this country through the European Mechanism for Civil Protection, in the context of the fight against COVID-19. In recent weeks, Nepal has been severely affected by a new wave of COVID-19 cases.

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).