Flying anti-Covid help to Nepal
Last Friday, 21 May 2021, Swiss Humanitarian Aid (SHA), part of the federal department of foreign affairs, dispatched 1.1 million antigen tests, 40 respirators, ten oxygen concentrators and personal protective equipment to Kathmandu.
Loaded on an A330 of Bulgarian carrier Gullivair, which started operations last year, the 30 t shipment of humanitarian supplies for Nepal is worth around CHF 7.5 million (USD 8.3 million).
Nepal is one of the priority countries of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, which has so far allocated CHF 12 million (USD 13.3 million) to help stem the spread of Covid-19 in the country. This latest SHA consignment comes after 13 t of respirators, oxygen concentrators and other supplies were shipped on 6 May to India, which shares a border with Nepal. (ah)