Sierra Leone: China Donates U.S.$2 Million Food Items to Sierra Leone

By Ministry of Health and Sanitation

Freetown — As China Donates $2 Million Food Supplies to Sierra Leone, Ambassador Yanbo Says "China's 40 Years Relationship with Sierra Leone is an Obligation to Extend Fraternal Assistance in the Fight against Ebola

China has donated through the World Food Programme (WFP) 1, 625 metric tons of food items to Sierra Leone in the fight against the deadly Ebola virus disease.

The donated food items

The food items include rice, corn-soya blend and yellow split peas.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has been following the Ebola trend in West Africa and poised to assist the Ebola-affected countries: Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

Speaking at the handing over ceremony, the Chinese Ambassador to Sierra Leone, Zhao Yanbo at a ceremony held at the Queen Elizabeth II Quay in Freetown said President Jinping noted the various measures taken by the Sierra Leone government since the Ebola outbreak in May 2014 to contain the deadly virus at an early date.

In the fight to cope with the challenges, and to break the transmission rate of infection, the Ambassador observed that many districts were isolated as a result of food shortage faced by affected families, and live in difficulties.

These foods item the Envoy hoped would help the relevant beneficiaries, and looks forward to the prompt and effective delivery by WFP to the affected families.

Responding on behalf of the government and the people of Sierra Leone, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Dr. Samura Kamara reiterated government's appreciation to the laudable growing assistance to Sierra Leone by the People's Republic of China, hoping that we would soon reach a zero infection rate.

He described the gesture as a direct meaningful humanitarian aid to the Sierra Leonean population, expressing the desire to seeing a smooth delivery by the executing agencies.

Dr. Samura Kamara on behalf of the President, Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma and the government and people of Sierra Leone, thanked the Chinese Government for the donation hoping that the long standing bilateral and cordial relationship between China and Sierra Leone would continue to grow from strength to strength.

Highlights of the ceremony include the symbolic handing over of the food items to the Ministry of Health through the Foreign Minister by the WFP Country Representative, Gon Myers and Ambassador Zhao Yanbo. An inspection tour of the Port Shed at the quay formed part of the ceremony.

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