Libya receives 20 million euros in COVID aid from the EU

The EU funded program will be called ‘Salamati’ and will provide structured support for concerned Libyan authorities to be able to provide a better and quicker response to the pandemic in the most affected areas.

Created with the goal of leaving no one behind, the Salamati programme will aim to provide better detection of the virus, improving precautionary measures and supporting Libya’s struggling healthcare system.

Working with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO), the Salamati program will be able to reach over 4 million people in Libya, with the focus being on those in the most difficult areas to reach and provide protection for.

José Sabadell, the EU ambassador to Libya stated that to tackle a global pandemic, there must be global cooperation. Adding that the EU will continue to work closely with countries and organizations around the world to provide protection measures, infection tracking and help make vaccines available to as many people as possible.

“In Libya, the EU seeks to both support the national COVID-19 response and strengthen primary healthcare services, as the Libyan health system is suffering severe undersupplies and damages as a consequence of the longstanding conflict,” he added.

In relevant news, The World Health Organization (WHO) announced this week that Libya missed out on the first round of COVAX vaccines due to missing the deadline of submission on the required documents.

Libya was expected to receive the first batch of 1 million doses early this month but due to this misstep, it is unknown when the vaccines will reach Libyan shores.