Some 90 tons of material sent by the UN, including protection kits for caregivers, arrived by plane Wednesday in Caracas to help Venezuela in its fight against the coronavirus, announced the office of the humanitarian affairs of the United Nations (OCHA ). The shipment includes among others "28,000 personal protection kits for caregivers who are on the front line, oxygen concentrators, beds for pediatric services, products to check the quality of water and hygiene kits “ , Said OCHA.
It is the "first humanitarian shipment of the United Nations in support of Venezuela during the pandemic" of Covid-19, said Peter Grohmann, coordinator of the UN in Venezuela, quoted in a press release. This "joint effort" brought together several international agencies, including UNICEF, the United Nations Population Fund and WHO.
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According to the government of Socialist President Nicolas Maduro, 166 cases of coronavirus and seven deaths linked to the disease have been recorded in Venezuela so far.
The Venezuelan medical community warns of a health disaster if hospitals, under-equipped and sometimes unsanitary, have to cope with an influx of patients. The country with the largest oil reserves in the world is going through the worst crisis in its recent history which is accompanied by rampant inflation and shortages of drugs and gasoline.