The 2,00,000 AstraZeneca vaccine doses donated by India to UN peacekeeping have departed to Copenhagen, Denmark from Mumbai in the early hours of Saturday, 27 March, reported PTI. The vaccines will reach Copenhagen to be safely stored in a facility, re-packaged and quickly distributed for peacekeepers to be inoculated.
The UN peacekeeping chief along with top United Nations officials while expressing their gratitude to India for its gift of COVID-19 vaccine doses said that it will enable the Blue Helmets to continue their life-saving work in a safe manner.
Under Secretary General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix said that an effective roll-out of the COVID-19 vaccine to all peacekeepers is a matter of key priority for the United Nations.
“India is a longstanding and steadfast supporter of Peacekeeping and I want to thank the government and people of India, who have generously donated COVID-19 vaccines to benefit our peacekeeping personnel to enable them to continue their life-saving work in a safe manner,” Lacroix said.
Further, Under Secretary General for Operational Support Atul Khare also thanked India for donating the 2,00,000 vaccines.
“This important donation will allow us to ensure that UN peacekeepers are able to remain healthy and deliver in some of the most difficult environments in the world without relying on already stretched national health systems or ongoing COVAX efforts,” Khare added.
In February, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had announced that India will gift 2,00,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses for UN peacekeepers. “Keeping in mind the UN Peacekeepers who operate in such difficult circumstances, we would like to announce today a gift of 2,00,000 doses for them, Jaishankar had said.
(With inputs from PTI)
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