"Omicron Response Cooperation" US Provides Additional $580 Million Support

[Asia Economy Reporter Seulgina Jo] The United States announced that it will provide an additional $580 million (approximately 690 billion KRW) in support to seven international organizations to respond to the new COVID-19 variant, Omicron.

On the 21st (local time), according to the U.S. Department of State, Secretary of State Antony Blinken chaired a meeting of foreign ministers discussing the Omicron response, attended by about 10 foreign ministers including South Korea's Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong and representatives of regional organizations.

At the meeting, Secretary Blinken stated, "With the emergence of the new variant, the world is at a critical point in the global response to the virus," emphasizing, "It is important for other governments to fulfill their commitments and provide support on the pandemic frontlines." He added, "COVID-19 is not only a health crisis but also a security, economic, humanitarian, and development crisis," and stressed, "We must cooperate and act swiftly to end the pandemic."

Secretary Blinken announced an additional $580 million in support to seven international organizations including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), noting that U.S. health and humanitarian aid related to COVID-19 approaches $20 billion.

Specifically, the additional $580 million will be allocated as follows: $280 million to WHO, $170 million to UNICEF, $75 million to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), $20 million to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and $20 million to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). He emphasized, "The additional $580 million will be crucial for vaccine administration, community support, and emergency life-saving supplies."

Furthermore, the United States has supported over 330 million vaccine doses to more than 110 countries. Previously, the U.S. announced it would provide 1.2 billion vaccine doses globally free of charge.

At the official briefing held that afternoon, Secretary Blinken said, "There is still a long way to go to overcome the pandemic," and added, "We will move toward the goal of a 70% vaccination rate by next fall, as set by President Joe Biden at the Global COVID-19 Summit."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.