The FAO’s statement commending Morocco echoes a score of other statements and press releases, expressing thanks to Morocco for its commitment to the African continent.
Rabat – The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) expressed satisfaction with Morocco’s decision to donate medical aid to 15 African countries.
A statement from FAO, quoted by Maghreb Arab Press (MAP), said the organization “wishes to salute the solidarity of King Mohammed VI with African countries that received medical aid from Morocco” to help them in their fight against COVID-19.
The organization also appreciated Morocco’s commitment to and unwavering support for the FAO’s objectives and priorities.
Morocco’s medical shipments included millions of masks, 900,000 visors, 600,000 hygiene caps, 60,000 medical gowns, and tens of thousands of liters of hydroalcoholic gels, along with 75,000 boxes of chloroquine and 15,000 boxes of azithromycin.
The initial list of countries that received Morocco’s medical aid includes Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Comoros, Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Malawi, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Tanzania, and Zambia.
Beyond the countries on the initial beneficiaries list, Angola and Madagascar also received medical aid.
Several countries and other international organizations have thanked Morocco for its pan-African solidarity and commitment.
FAO also welcomed Morocco’s role as a leader in New York during the debate on humanitarian affairs with the UN Economic and Social Council.
“The call to action to support the humanitarian response to the COVID-19 pandemic has clearly highlighted the key role of the international community which acted with urgency and determination in the face of the global crisis while emphasizing solidarity, cooperation and humanity.”
The organization stressed the urgent need for concerted action to deal with the humanitarian consequences of the “acute food insecurity which continues to worsen on a global scale.”
FAO warned how the COVID-19 crisis continues to spread at a high speed, by various ways, through and within countries in crisis, “with a very different impact in terms of food insecurity.”
The problem can be particularly severe in certain locations and for particularly vulnerable communities.
“Farmers who cannot go to local markets to sell their products will see their incomes drop and therefore will not have the means to purchase food and meet their basic needs,” the organization stressed.
FAO is not the only UN organization to commend Morocco’s support for its fellow African countries. The World Health Organization (WHO) also issued a statement to express appreciation for Morocco’s initiative to ship medical supplies to other African nations.
The statement published by MAP describes the initiative as a “genuine and tangible manifestation of regional solidarity which is part of the global solidarity that WHO has consistently called for.”
