Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway to Bosnia and Herzegovina Olav Reinertsen visited today the temporary reception center for migrants at the Sedra Hotel in the municipality of Cazin, and handed over a donation in the form of protective medical equipment to help with the COVID pandemic.

-Norway is helping Bosnia and Herzegovina in the fight against the pandemic by donating equipment to institutions across the country. What I learned today, in this reception center, is that they have been waiting for protective equipment for a long time. I hope that with this donation we will alleviate the situation in the center, and help in this extremely difficult humanitarian crisis- Reinertsen pointed out.

The equipment worth 186,000 KM, consisting of protective masks and gloves, disinfection tunnels and disinfectants, as well as thermometers and protective suits, will be delivered to reception centers in the Una-Sana and the Sarajevo Canton during January. Procurement was coordinated by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in consultation with the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

-There are currently 348 beneficiaries at Sedra, all of them vulnerable categories, families with children, and 55 unaccompanied minors. Many thanks to the Government of Norway for this important donation, and to the UNDP for mediation- said Vladimir Mitkovski, IOM Coordinator for the region.

Particularly vulnerable categories of people on the move, including families with children, are currently staying at the Sedra Temporary Reception Center. The assigned equipment will provide a greater degree of protection when it comes to the transmission of coronavirus, and facilitate the work in the reception centers.

In the previous period, the Government of the Kingdom of Norway also provided funds for the purchase of respirators for healthcare institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and a number of medical monitors for various health institutions, as well as protective equipment for medical workers.

The donated equipment was procured on the basis of the agreement on the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which was signed by the Embassy of the Kingdom of Norway in B&H and the UNDP on March 26, 2020.

The UNDP remains committed to supporting the health system in Bosnia and Herzegovina in response to COVID-19.

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the UNDP has been actively supporting local authorities and healthcare institutions at all levels in mitigating the crisis through a joint and coordinated United Nations response.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, as part of the United Nations response in B&H, the UNDP, in partnership and with funding from the European Union, the governments of Norway and Switzerland, and relevant institutions in B&H, has ensured the procurement and delivery of more than 2.9 million essential medical supplies and equipment, stated the UNDP.