(MENAFN- The Peninsula)
Geneva: Minister of Labour Dr. Ali bin Smaikh Al Marri confirmed yesterday the commitment of the State of Qatar to support efforts aimed at providing coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines and their access to all in a fair and equitable manner.
He further pointed out that the State of Qatar provided, within the framework of its efforts more than $140m to support and relief those affected by the pandemic, benefiting 80 countries and many local and international organizations, as well as helping more than 3.1 million people return home.
This came in a speech by H E the Minister of Labour during his participation in the high-level meeting of the Council of the International Organization for Migration, which is being hosted by the Swiss capital, Geneva, today and tomorrow.
At the outset of his speech, Dr. Ali bin Smaikh Al Marri congratulated the International Organization for Migration on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of its founding, praising its contribution to serving humanity around the world, and its quest to ensure that the most vulnerable groups are not left behind, noting the importance of organizing this international event.
He noted that no country was spared from the coronavirus pandemic or from the economic, social and health effects associated with it, pointing out that this unusual crisis required on governments to take exceptional measures to confront the challenges it presented, as“preliminary measures were implemented regarding human mobility, especially across borders, followed by local restrictions on movement and closures in many countries, including Qatar, as inevitable measures to limit the spread of the disease and keep health systems functioning properly.
The Minister of Labour noted that although these measures imposed by the outbreak of the pandemic contributed to limiting the spread of the disease, they added other challenges to the already existing challenges, reviewing the experience of the State of Qatar in dealing with the pandemic, as the country realized immediately after the outbreak of (COVID-19) pandemic the need for a coordinated response at the national and international levels, and then a set of actions were taken to respond to the emergency situation.
Minister Al Marri also touched on Qatar's efforts outside its borders to relieve those affected by the pandemic, saying, that from the beginning, and throughout the outbreak of the pandemic, Qatar, through its airline, helped more than 3.1 million people return to their homes, provided a lifeline for people in some industries such as seafarers. and evacuated more than 150,000 people. It also transported more than 250,000 tons of medical supplies and aid worldwide, adding that in fulfillment of its humanitarian duty, which is to help needy and severely affected countries, the State of Qatar continued to provide aid for the urgent response to the pandemic, with contributions exceeding $140m, from which 80 countries have benefited as well as any local and international organisations, especially the World Health Organization and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. The Minister also indicated that more than 85 percent of the population of the State of Qatar has been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 with two doses.
The meeting featured participation by a number of international officials specialized in migration affairs, from the countries of the four continents, to discuss migration issues and the challenges it faces across the world.
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