In response to needs expressed by the authorities of Vanuatu regarding the Covid-19 pandemic, the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs' Crisis and Support Center (CDCS) carried out a second operation yesterday to deliver supplies to deal with the upsurge in Covid-19 cases in Vanuatu.
This shipment, which was partially funded by the Ministry's Crisis and Support Center and partially donated by the Ministry for Solidarity and Health, included four oxygen generators, 30,000 tests, and medication to treat the most severe cases of Covid-19. It also includes 24,000 tests donated by the government of New Caledonia.
It was delivered to Vanuatu aboard a New Caledonia Armed Forces (FANC) aircraft, in coordination with the French Embassy in Port Vila. It comes in the wake of an earlier operation to provide support for the people of Vanuatu on April 4 and was carried out under the auspices of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism (EUCPM).
These operations, on which we coordinated closely with New Zealand and Australia within the framework of the FRANZ partnership, reflect France's commitment to the South Pacific countries, in keeping with French and European Indo-Pacific strategies.