UNITED NATIONS: High United Nations officers, together with the UN peacekeeping chief, have expressed gratitude to India for its present of 200,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses for peacekeepers, saying the donation will allow the Blue Helmets to proceed their life-saving work in a secure method.
The 200,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines, introduced as a present by India for UN peacekeepers, left Mumbai within the early hours of Saturday and can arrive at Copenhagen, Denmark. They’ll then be distributed to all UN peacekeeping missions.
Underneath-Secretary-Common for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix and Underneath-Secretary-Common for Operational Assist Atul Khare on Friday hailed India’s contribution of the vaccine doses for the UN peacekeepers.
“An efficient roll-out of the COVID-19 vaccine to all peacekeepers is a key precedence for the United Nations so as to shield our personnel and their capability to proceed their essential work, assist shield susceptible communities and ship on their mandates,” Lacroix mentioned.
“India is a longstanding and steadfast supporter of Peacekeeping and I need to thank the Authorities and other people of India, who’ve generously donated COVID-19 vaccines to learn our peacekeeping personnel and allow them to proceed their life-saving work in a secure method,” he mentioned.
Khare thanked India for donating the 200,000 vaccines to UN peacekeeping missions. “This vital donation will permit us to make sure that UN peacekeepers are capable of stay wholesome and ship in a few of the most tough environments on the earth with out counting on already stretched nationwide well being techniques or ongoing COVAX efforts,” he added.
“We additionally stay engaged with our troop and police-contributing nations to make sure that wherever doable, uniformed personnel are vaccinated via their nationwide techniques previous to deployment. On the similar time, my Division is main UN system-wide preparations to assist nationwide efforts in vaccinating UN civilian personnel and members of the family,” he added.
Exterior Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had introduced in February that India will present 200,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses for UN peacekeepers. “Conserving in thoughts the UN Peacekeepers who function in such tough circumstances, we want to announce right this moment a present of 200,000 doses for them,” Jaishankar had mentioned whereas addressing the UN Safety Council open debate on the implementation of decision 2532 (2020) on the cessation of hostilities within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Quoting the Bhagavad Gita, Jaishankar had mentioned “Do your work with the welfare of others at all times in thoughts.” The 200,000 doses basically imply that will probably be doable to manage the required double doses of COVID vaccines to all UN peacekeepers throughout missions.
In keeping with UN Peacekeeping, as of January 31, 2021 a complete of 85,782 personnel are serving in 12 peacekeeping operations internationally led by the Division of Peace Operations. A complete of 121 nations are contributing uniformed personnel to the UN peacekeeping missions.
India is without doubt one of the largest contributors of troops and police to UN peacekeeping missions, with greater than 5,000 women and men deployed in 9 missions, together with in The Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan and Lebanon.
The 200,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine left Mumbai through Qatar Airways on March 27 at 04:10 am. The cargo will go to Copenhagen, the place will probably be safely saved in a facility, re-packaged and shortly distributed to peacekeeping missions for the peacekeepers.
The vaccine Covishield is the model of the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine produced by the Serum Institute of India. Covaxin is the indigenously developed vaccine by pharma firm Bharat Biotech.
The Division of Peace Operations mentioned that over the previous 12 months, UN peacekeepers world wide have undertaken “outstanding efforts” as they adjusted and responded to the unprecedented world well being disaster.
Almost 100,000 peacekeepers, already working inside advanced and difficult environments, managed to maintain themselves and others secure whereas supporting nationwide and native authorities of their response to the pandemic.
It added that regardless of the surprising challenges posed by COVID-19, peacekeepers demonstrated adaptability and adaptability to proceed implementing their core mandates, which is to guard folks and construct sustainable peace.
UN Secretary-Common Antonio Guterres had mentioned that he’s “extraordinarily grateful” for the present of 200,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses for UN peacekeepers introduced by India.
Underneath India’s ‘Vaccine Maitri’ initiative, which interprets into Vaccine Friendship, the nation has been offering vaccines to nations internationally – from India’s quick neighbours to nations in Latin America and Africa – and is a major supply of provide to the COVAX facility.
Greater than 58 million Made in India coronavirus vaccine doses have reached about 70 nations in latest weeks.
