The African Development Bank (AfDB) granted nearly half a million dollars in emergency relief assistance to Libya as the North African country got a boost in its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
The funds are geared towards the procurement of critical personal protective equipment (PPE) intended for treatment of cases of infection of the coronavirus.
The Libyan government made a request to the AfDB which in turn approved a grant of $480,000 under the Special Relief Fund, the first such grant to Libya under the SRF in about six years.
“The Bank’s funding will contribute to supporting the country’s national Response Plan for COVID-19. The assistance is intended to focus on infection prevention and control and to shield communities, particularly those most vulnerable including the health workers,” the AfDB said in a statement.
While North Africa has been badly hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, Libya’s statistics indicate that it has not experienced a high caseload. As of July 10, Libya has reported 1,268 confirmed cases, 36 deaths and 306 recoveries.
However, due to political and socio-economic disruptions, including a long-running conflict between the UN-backed government and the Libyan National Army and upheavals in the oil sector, the country’s response to a potential surge in infections will face enormous difficulties. Libya’s struggling health system also has a serious shortage of staff, medicines, supplies and equipment.
The AfDB said that, despite the current difficulties, it intends to see that its support reaches the Libyan people and, particularly, doctors, nurses and health workers who are at the frontline in the fight against the deadly virus.
“The intervention will complement the ongoing humanitarian activities of UN agencies and international organizations to mitigate the negative effects of the virus pandemic on the population living in Libya. Accordingly, the Bank support will be implemented by the World Health Organization (WHO) operating in Libya,” the statement added.
