Press releases

30 Apr 2020

UNICEF in Belarus aims to raise $1.5m for medical equipment

Photo from Reuters

MINSK, 30 April (BelTA) – Representative of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Belarus Dr. Rashed Mustafa Sarwar has addressed the Belarusian business community and the nation to fundraise $1.5 million together to run an emergency campaign to procure and deliver medical equipment and personal protective equipment for healthcare workers and COVID-19 patients in Belarus, BelTA has learned.

“Our team has a unique opportunity to purchase and deliver to Belarus a large batch of medical equipment and products, which we can take advantage of together with the UNICEF global supply hub in Copenhagen (Denmark). Our international organization has the necessary logistical capacity and 75-year experience of work in emergency situations all over the globe. The cargo will be handed over to the Belarusian government to be delivered to healthcare facilities, educational institutions, and social security organizations. Part of the equipment will be bought from Belarusian manufacturers,” the letter reads.

Due to its special status within the UN system, UNICEF is exempt from taxes and customs duties on shipments to Belarus. In addition to this, the team of the organization has been working directly with the Belarusian government for 25 years, which will help avoid delays in the delivery and legalization of international emergency aid in the Belarusian territory.

“In the course of six weeks, we can ship several batches with a total of more than 1.5 million liters of sanitizers and personal hygiene products, over a million test kits, devices for remote body temperature check, hygiene kits for people in need, personal protective equipment, oxygen concentrators, and much more,” the open letter informs.

The cargo and its delivery cost $1.5 million. “All this money will be spent solely on the procurement and delivery of the cargo. Our organization makes no profit from this. We guarantee public accountability for all spent funds,” Dr. Rashed Mustafa Sarwar added in the letter.

Moreover, UNICEF in Belarus is ready to discuss with Belarusian partners centralized procurement of equipment to organize distance learning in schools and facilities for children with special needs and provide professional support for setting up a national system of distance learning.