CTBTO PROVIDES COVID-19 PPE FOR AFGHANISTAN AND ECUADOR

The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) has provided small consignments of personal protective equipment (PPE) to Afghanistan and Ecuador to help fight COVID-19, following similar donations to Burkina Faso and Paraguay.

CTBTO Executive Secretary Lassina Zerbo handed over equipment comprised mainly of protective suits to Afghanistan’s Ambassador Khojesta Fana Ebrahimkhel in Vienna on 21 May.

"Grateful to Executive Secretary of CTBTO for his effort of supporting Afghanistan with protective equipment to help medical staff fighting COVID-19. Afghans count on the solidarity and commitment of the International Community,” the Ambassador said in a tweet.

Ecuador’s Ambassador Jenny Lalama Fernandez collected two boxes of protective suits on 27 May. “Donation in the context of our fight against COVID-19 is never small,” she said. Supplies of PPE from the CTBTO’s stores have already arrived in Burkina Faso and Paraguay, responding to requests for masks, gloves, suits and other items to protect medical staff battling the COVID-19 pandemic.

The equipment had been stocked by the CTBTO’s On-Site Inspection division for use in training, field exercises and ultimately to be ready for deployment once the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) enters into force. The CTBTO is also preparing to deliver capacity-building equipment and software to Afghanistan to help strengthen its National Data Centre (NDC), part of the global network to share data from the CTBT’s international verification system.