The Office of Defense Representative’s Humanitarian Assistance Program, the Humanitarian Assistance Bureau of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) are assisting Costa Rican students and professors so that they have personal hygiene supplies when they return to in-person instruction in classrooms.
U.S. SOUTHCOM Commander Admiral Craig Faller visited Costa Rica for the donation of thousands of liters of hand sanitizer, disinfectant, liquid soap, digital thermometers, and hand sanitizer dispensers. “Since the COVID-19 crisis began, SOUTHCOM has funded more than $18 million in Humanitarian Assistance Program projects in 28 countries in the region. The 37 projects totaling $ 2.1 million have already been delivered to Costa Rica, including three field hospitals to support the COVID response. As neighbors, we are all in this together, and together, we can prevail against this pandemic,” emphasized Admiral Faller.
U.S. Ambassador Sharon Day stated that “the continuing donation of equipment from several U.S. government agencies during the pandemic demonstrates just how much we value our relationship and longstanding collaboration with Costa Rica. Reopening schools means that we will have to take special measures to protect children, teachers, and families, and with this donation we are taking the first preventive step for returning to in-person classes. Together we will overcome this pandemic.”
The Ministry of Public Education thanked the U.S. embassy for the donation of personal protection supplies against Covid-19, as well as the “I Learn at Home” communication campaign that UNICEF will develop for indigenous areas and students with some type of disability.
The total value of these donations is USD $1,222,000.
