Australia working to create a humanitarian and essential services to the Pacific

Dear Editor,

Please consider this letter.

Australia’s minister for the Pacific, Alex Hawke, said his country was committed to tackling Covid-19 with its Pacific partners, as part of its Pacific step-up strategy.

“We have never faced a challenge of the scale of Covid-19, but we will combat it together as a Pacific family,” the statement read.

Mr Hawke said Australia was supporting the Pacific through the closure of its borders, while still facilitating Pacific people in transit to return home with enhanced health screening. He added that his government was working to create a humanitarian and essential services corridor to the Pacific.

He said Australia was also providing expertise across the region, and helping regional governments with laboratories, medical equipment, health expertise, public information campaigns and support for national plans.

Canberra has also reoriented its development programme to support health services and mitigate the economic shock of the pandemic.

Australia’s high commissioner to Solomon Islands, Lachlan Strahan, said in a post on Twitter that Prime Minister Scott Morrison had pledged US$8.4 million to Solomon Islands to boost its efforts.

Source:  Radio New Zealand.

Yours sincerely

Frank Short

www.solomonislandinfocus.com