Third Swiss humanitarian flight to South Asia
After supplying aid to India and Nepal during May, Switzerland is also helping Sri Lanka to combat the Covid-19 pandemic. On Monday 7 June 2021 Swiss Humanitarian Aid dispatched medical supplies weighing 16 t and worth CHF 3.5 million (EUR 3.2 million) to Colombo, including half a million antigen tests, 50 ventilators, 150 oxygen concentrators and testing materials.
The consignment was received by representatives of the Sri Lankan ministry of health and then distributed to the different locations.
In 2020, Switzerland also contributed CHF 1 million to Sri Lanka's efforts to combat Covid-19. In October, it funded a device for PCR testing in Colombo airport and provided 39,000 test kits – with the aim of helping Sri Lankan migrant workers who, due to Covid-19, lost their jobs abroad when they returned home. (ah)