According to all these data, regardless of whether it is a direct assistance or assistance through the instruments of these major alliances, the EU and NATO continue to be leading in this segment, not only in North Macedonia and the region, but also globally. And as for the United States, it has already been written about and it will continue so. Everything else is just a cheap attempt at populism, and it is refuted only with facts.
“Friends in need are friends indeed”, so in these difficult times the true friends of the Republic of North Macedonia (RNM) decided to help us. The European Union has officially stated that it will assist RNM with equipment and an amount of 4 million euros. But despite that help, some European Union member states have decided to help RNM individually. Their help is as follows:
A total budget of small projects for 2020 has been implemented in a support project in the form of equipment for the Mother Teresa Clinical Center
27.03.2020
Coronavirus tests based on nuclear technology for North Macedonia, Ukraine and Morocco in the amount of 500,000 euros.
02.04.2020
100 thousand protective masks and 100 thousand gloves in the amount of 110 thousand euros
03.04.2020
100 thousand protective masks and 5 thousand protective suits
06.04.2020
1 million protective masks
10.04.2020
100 protective medical suits and protective masks for multiple use
16.04.2020
N95 masks and
protective gear
21.04.2020
Over 1000 tulips and a large number of books translated into Macedonian and Albanian
28.04.2020
Financial support used for 3,160 packaged meals and 4,800 hygiene kits
28.04.2020
Transportation aid for a Chinese donation consisting of personal protective equipment
29.04.2020
3 thousand masks for multiple use
05.05.2020
KN95 masks, surgical masks, latex gloves, contactless thermometers, antiseptic sprays and disinfectants and goggles
06.05.2020
200 food packages and 100 respiratory protection masks
06.05.2020
10 thousand protective masks
12.05.2020
Kingdom of Sweden and Switzerland
Support in the distribution of 1860 food and hygiene kits for the most severely affected by the COVID-19 crisis
13.5.2020
Donation for the needs of the Directorate for Protection and Rescue
15.05.2020
300 protective suits for medical staff, 300 goggles and visors for health workers at the Clinic for Infectious Diseases and Febrile Conditions
22.05.2020
600 packages of food products and hygiene products
26.05.2020
100 thousand protective masks and 10 thousand liters of disinfectants
28.05.2020
What is very important to note in this context is the European Union’s Civil Protection Mechanism (CPM) and the NATO-Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre (EADRCC). Most of the assistance is provided through these two mechanisms.
It is a body established in 2001, whose main task is to prevent, prepare for and respond to disasters. It consists of the member states of the European Union, 6 participating countries and the United Kingdom (during the transition until the full exit). The six participating countries are: North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Turkey, Iceland and Norway.
How does this system work? When a country is unable to deal with the disaster on its own, it can seek help from the CPM as the only point where the donor capacities of all member states merge and unnecessary duplication and inefficiency are avoided. In this way, humanitarian aid is managed much more efficiently, because a single body coordinates all the assistance provided on behalf of the European Union, which is effectively donated by all member states of the European Union. This is also better for the recipient of the aid because he is interested in getting the most effective help possible, which means getting exactly what he needs, without duplicating and creating unnecessary surpluses.
The way the CPM works is as follows: every country in the world, the United Nations and other international institutions can turn to the CPM for assistance. The CPM has intervened in some of the biggest disasters, such as the Ebola epidemic in West Africa (2014) and the Democratic Republic of Congo (2018), the earthquake in Albania (2019), and so on. The assistance of the Republic of Austria to the Republic of North Macedonia from 15.5.2020, listed in the table above, is provided through the CPM. It is important to note that the CPM works to coordinate readiness and prevent possible disasters when it comes to member states, and contributes to the exchange of best practices.
On the other hand, the People’s Republic of China has donated 30,000 euros in cash, as well as more than 5,000 tests for COVID-19 and significant protective equipment such as protective suits, masks, protective caps, etc.
According to all these data, regardless of whether it is a direct assistance or assistance through the instruments of these major alliances, the EU and NATO continue to be leading in this segment, not only in North Macedonia and the region, but also globally. And as for the United States, it has already been written about and will continue so. Everything else is just a cheap attempt at populism, and it is refuted only with facts.
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This project was funded in part through a U.S. Embassy grant. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed herein are those of the implementers/authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Government.
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