Finland sends material assistance to help Nepal fight COVID-19 epidemic

Finland will send material assistance to Nepal through the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism to tackle the COVID-19 crisis. The material assistance will include face masks, protective visors, protective gloves and medical gowns.

The Nepalese authorities have requested material assistance from the EU countries due to the rapidly deteriorating COVID-19 situation. Nepal is one of Finland's long-term development cooperation partner countries.

The material assistance will be delivered through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism as part of the European Union’s joint assistance mission. The European Commission is coordinating the pooling of assistance and supports Member States in the arrangement of logistics and in transport costs.

The Ministry of the Interior has collaborated to this end with the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, and the National Emergency Supply Agency. The main part of the material assistance will be provided through the state emergency stockpiling maintained by the National Emergency Supply Agency. Material assistance has also been donated by Medifon Oy, Logonet Oy Ltd, Mediwear Ltd and Röntgentekno Oy with their cooperation partner Fiberone Oy

Inquiries:
Pekka Tiainen, Senior Specialist, Ministry of the Interior, tel. +358 50 456 4477, pekka.tiainen@intermin.fi
Liisa Folkersma, Desk Officer, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, +358 46 921 8559
Jaakko Pekki, Director, National Emergency Supply Agency, tel. +358 295 051 015, jaakko.pekki@nesa.fi