UNICEF staff member during the arrival of a plane with 32 tons of vaccines and supplies to combat COVID-19, at the Venezuela’s main airport on November 23, 2020 in Caracas, Venezuela. So far this year (October 2020), in Venezuela, UNICEF has distributed over 2.600 tons of supplies, more than US$10 million, to more than 1,332 sites in 23 states. As November, UNICEF Venezuela received a total of 20.1 tons of health and PPE supplies delivered by air and a total of 168.9 tons delivered by sea, including 7.9 tons of health supplies. This last cargo flight includes vaccines procured by UNICEF to contribute the National Immunization program. UNICEF has procured the following vaccines: BCG, polio (IPV and bOPV), MMR Vaccine (Measles, Mumps and Rubeola), yellow fever, DTP-HepB-Hib Vaccine (Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis, Hepatitis B and Haemophilus Influenzae) and Td (Tetanus and diphtheria). All vaccines procured by UNICEF thanks to the contributions of it donors are WHO prequalified and comply with all international quality standards. UNICEF also provides the syringes and security boxes for each vaccines donation to reach for free all vulnerable people and protect them.
The UNICEF Humanitarian Airfreight Initiative has been formed with the world’s leading airlines to secure the transport of Covid-19 vaccines and medical supplies around the globe.
These chosen carriers have signing agreements with UNICEF to support the prioritisation of delivery of COVID-19 vaccines, essential medicines, medical devices and other critical supplies to respond to the pandemic.
The airfreight initiative supports the COVAX Facility’s efforts to ensure that countries have fair access to vaccines, regardless of income level. Under COVAX, UNICEF is leading the procurement and delivery of quality-assured COVID-19 vaccines for low-income and lower-middle-income countries.
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To help the organisation reach participating countries, airlines have pledged to prioritise the transport of life-saving vaccines and said they will take measures to ensure temperature control and security as well as available freight capacity to routes as needed.
UNICEF noted that the airlines’ commitments are critical to the timely and secure delivery of vaccines and supplies and the initiative will serve as a global logistics preparedness mechanism for other humanitarian and health crises over the longer term.
“Safe, timely and efficient transportation of life-saving supplies is critical to supporting access to essential services for children and families,” UNICEF said.
Based on the distribution plan, 145 countries will receive doses to inoculate around three percent of their population, on average, starting in the first half of 2021.
Signing up for UNICEF’s initiative are AirBridgeCargo, Air France/KLM, Astral Aviation, Brussels Airlines, Cargolux, Cathay Pacific, Emirates Skycargo, Ethiopian Airlines, Etihad Airways, IAG Cargo, Korean Air, Lufthansa Cargo, Qatar Airways, Saudia, Singapore Airlines, and United Airlines.
