DP World will help UNICEF send critical supplies to India, including two million face shield and 200,000 surgical masks, as the country fights a deadly wave of COVID-19.
In a statement, UNICEF said it has entered into a global partnership with DP World to offer worldwide access to logistical services, including ports, rail, trucking and warehousing, free of charge.
UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore described the situation in India as “tragic” and said it “raise alarm bells for all of us”.
“Unless the world steps up and helps India now, there will be reverberations across the region and the world in terms of virus-related deaths, virus mutations and supply delays,” Fore said.
“The support of DP World and all our other partners has never been more critical.”
Ahmed bin Sulayem, Group Chairman and CEO, DP World, said, “DP World partnered with UNICEF because dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic is humanity’s biggest logistics challenge in living memory.
“This emergency shipment of medical supplies is just one of many operations DP World will be supporting worldwide.
“The UAE and India have strong ties, and we stand by India through this devastating pandemic.”
UNICEF said it has provided oxygen concentrators and other critically needed emergency equipment to support the immediate response.
It claims it needs $21 million for the urgent delivery of additional testing equipment, supplies and oxygen products in India, and more than $50 million for lifesaving COVID-19 interventions across sectors.
