UK – Liberia Covid-19 Taskforce

 

Press Release

 

Birmingham, UK 14 July 2021 - Liberians residing in the United Kingdom have once again united in response to the calls of their fellow compatriots as the scourge of the COVID-19 pandemic infects and takes more lives in their home country and the world.

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A group of Liberian professionals residing in the United Kingdom including Friends of Liberia have come together to establish the UK- Liberia COVID-19 Taskforce.

The Embassy of Liberia in London under H.E. Gurly T. Gibson Schwarz will also work in collaboration with the taskforce to strengthen their work.

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The taskforce will use their network to assist in lobbying international institutions for the provision of protective medical equipment and medical supplies to Liberia to supply and enhance efforts by clinics and hospitals as they battle the resurgence of COVID-19 and other variants which continues to be a menace in Liberia and the rest of the world.

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The group aims to intensify awareness campaigns about the dangers of the disease has taken lives and as a result, created an atmosphere of complacency amongst the Liberian population.

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UK-Liberia COVID-19 Taskforce which is an offspring of the UK-Liberia Ebola Taskforce formed in 2014, consists of Liberian professionals from a wide spectrum of the British- Liberian Community.

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Executives include Director of the Lena Marshall Foundation, Mrs. Lena Marshall, former President of the Union of Liberian Organizations in the UK (ULOUK), Mrs. Evelyn Duke-Deshield, current president of ULOUK, Mr. Mohammed Sonnie, President of the Liberian Association of Sheffield, Mr. Johnny Kalbah, a prominent scholar and prelate, Rev. Akoi Bazzie, Mrs. Ellen Heavens, CEO Sardaya Global Enterprises LTD, Mr. Rudi Page, CEO, Making Connections Work Ltd and award-winning media professional and former BBC Health News Presenter, Mr. Douglas Farngalo, who serves as Director of Media.

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Since its formation, UK-Liberia COVID-19 Taskforce has engaged with the Liberian Embassy at the Court of St. James and the Liberian House of Senate where their fullest unflinching support has been promised.

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In a letter informing Liberia’s current Ambassador at the Court of St. James, H.E. Gurly Teta Gibson Schwarz about its formation, one of the task force’s executives Mrs. Evelyn Duke-Deshield said, “In the wake of what is happening in our country, Liberia, with the rise in COVID-19 cases, we have taken the initiative to form the UK-Liberia Taskforce team.

 

Mrs. Duke-Deshield who served as a prominent executive of the UK-Liberia Ebola Taskforce in 2014 said the organization shared similar objectives of the Ebola Taskforce.

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She continued, “Against this backdrop, we are kindly requesting you to appoint an official from the Embassy to represent your office at our meetings to keep you updated with our work and achievements. We are looking forward to gathering medical supplies to support medical facilities across Liberia. As part of our plans, we intend to contact Air Maroc, SN Brussels Corporate Office in London, with an appeal to secure air cargo spaces on their flights.

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She reminded H.E. Gibson Schwarz that in 2014, her predecessors at the Liberian Embassy played a key role in negotiations with airlines flying the routes to Liberia with the airlifting of 1200 kilograms of medical supplies on gratis. She said the UK-Liberia COVID-19 Taskforce, as in 2014, looks forward to forming a partnership with the Liberian Embassy which could prove vital in their contacts on behalf of the Liberian people.

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It can be recalled that in July 2014, in response to a call from the former Liberian President Madam Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf for all Liberian at home and abroad to assist in fighting the Ebola Epidemic in Liberia, the UK-Liberia Ebola Taskforce was formed.

 

After several fruitful engagements and lobbying with international organizations, UK government and people of the United Kingdom, the UK-Liberia Ebola Taskforce airlifted two consignments of assorted protective medical supplies to Liberia to assist the Government in the fight to eradicate the deadly Ebola virus from the country.

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The UK-Liberia COVID-19 Taskforce is calling on all Liberians residing in the UK, International philanthropic organizations, friends of Liberia, and well-wishers to donate to its fund: medical equipment, Personal Protective Equipment, Rapid flow test kits, Vaccines, and other medicines, to save the people of Liberia from infections and deaths from Covid-19.

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All donations can be made through the  Embassy of Liberia in London: info@embassyofliberia.org.uk , the taskforce team via email address uklibcovidtaskforce@gmail.com or Union of Liberian Organisations in the United Kingdom (ULO-UK).