IRELAND has donated €10 million to the United Nations in order to help vulnerable countries fight the Covid-19 pandemic.
The money will go towards the UN's Global Humanitarian Response Plan, which aims to help countries who are at risk of struggling in the fight against the virus.
Announcing Ireland's contribution on Wednesday evening, Tanaiste Simon Coveney said: "Humanity has a common enemy, which we can only defeat if we work together - as the World Health Organisation's Mike Ryan says: 'None of us are safe until everyone is safe'."
Developing countries are particularly at risk to the pandemic because social distancing measures are extremely difficult to adhere to and to enforce, while medical equipment and facilities are also largely in short supply.
In Bangladesh for example, there are just 29 intensive-care beds equipped with ventilators to cater for over 160 million people.
Last month, Ireland announced a €6.7 billion package to tackle the pandemic on its own shores.
"We are doing everything possible to ease the impact of the crisis here in Ireland and are making a difference," Coveney added.
"But as we stay at home to protect our most vulnerable, there are millions of vulnerable people around the world who lack access to such basics as clean water and soap and who need our help if they are to stay safe and well.
"Helping them is not only the right thing, an expression of our values of solidarity, generosity and compassion, it is also the sensible thing for Ireland to do.
"That is why today I have allocated €10 million from the Irish Aid programme to the UN's global humanitarian appeal, which help meet the most basic needs of the world's most vulnerable countries as they resist Covid-19," he said.
