By Fortune Abang
Abuja – Israel has underscored the need for collective effort across the globe to combat the upsurge of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Mr Shimon Ben-Shoshan, Ambassador of Israel to Nigeria, in a statement on Thursday in Abuja, said that such collective effort had become necessary because COVID-19 had become a “global concern”.
According to him, “the outbreak of COVID-19 has become one of the world’s major concerns, affecting the lives of thousands of people across the globe.
“The need for a collective effort in combating the upsurge of the COVID-19 pandemic has led the state of Israel to demonstrate its support to Nigeria in the fight.”
Ben-Shoshan said that Israel, in collaboration with Skill-G, had donated 2000 protective facemasks to the Ministry of Health, through Mr Osagie Ehanire, the Minister of Health.
He explained that the protective facemasks, which were designed in Israel and manufactured in Nigeria, were intended to support medical personnel working tirelessly to tackle the scourge.
He said that the Embassy had been working closely with the health ministry on the project since the outbreak of the disease.
“This contribution expresses concern for the wellbeing of Nigerian medical staff who are on the frontline of the fight against the virus. The gesture is also to thank them for their sacrifices in this trying time.”
He expressed appreciation to Agrited, RCC, Skill-G, EMI and other Israeli companies in Nigeria, for donating thousands of food items and relief materials to Nigerians under the lockdown.
The Ambassador expressed the confidence that the donation would not only empower Nigerians, but also help to cushion the effect and spread of the pandemic.
(NAN)
