NATO Secretary General welcomes offers to support the United Nations’ global request for airlift through NATO’s coordination centre
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed the offers of the United Kingdom and the State of Qatar to provide airlift assets coordinated by NATO’s Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre (EADRCC) in support of the United Nations’ efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I welcome the offers from the United Kingdom and from the State of Qatar to support the United Nations’ global request for airlift support. NATO will continue coordinating offers from Allies and partners to airlift urgently needed humanitarian and medical items, in our joint efforts against the COVID-19 pandemic”, said the NATO Secretary General.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA) issued a global call requesting that appropriate military and civil defence assets be made available for the transport of humanitarian and medical items needed in framework of the COVID-19 pandemic. NATO’s EADRCC responded on 15 May 2020 indicating the Alliance’s decision to support the request.
The Alliance’s assistance will be determined based on close coordination between UN OCHA, the EADRCC and the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), as well as on the availability of airlift assets from NATO Allies and partners. The United Kingdom and the State of Qatar informed NATO on 15 May about their readiness to make available strategic airlift following the UN OCHA request, responding to a call for assistance by NATO’s Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre.