To support Bhutan’s efforts in combating the COVID-19 pandemic, the European Union (EU) earmarked €12 M. According to a press release from the EU, the government can also make use of the €8.5 M received from the EU last month, as a part of its budget support to Local Governance and Rural Development, at the government’s discretion to tackle urgent needs emerging from the pandemic.
The EU says this will support Bhutan to strengthen the country’s preparedness capacities to deal with the pandemic, as well as mitigating the socio-economic impact.
EU Ambassador Ugo Astuto commits strong support to all partner countries in fighting the pandemic. “The virus knows no borders. It requires strong international cooperation. We are ready to step up at this time of crisis and support our partner countries. Bhutan and the EU have been working together for almost four decades. In the same spirit of collaboration and partnership, the EU is now committed to supporting the Government of Bhutan and its people in its efforts to combat the virus. I hope that the EU assistance will prove useful in addressing the challenge,” he added.
The press release breaks down the support area where the current € 12 M funding will be used – Rural Development, Local Governance, Civil Society Organisations and Trade:
- €9.7 M of EU assistance will be provided for Local Governance and Rural Development sectors. These funds will help in increasing food self-sufficiency and improving the management of natural resources. The financial support, placed directly in the national treasury, will aim at strengthening the service delivery of local governments’, the national water flagship initiative and the national training centre for search and rescue.
- EU will provide €1 M in support of needs related to trade and investment, to respond to economic blows and to boost the economy further. The support provided will also aim to build institutional capacities in order to ensure efficient response to future emergencies including future pandemics.
- €1.5 M will support civil society organisations and the Parliament. In response to COVID-19, this assistance will take into account the medium-term needs that are emerging as a result of the pandemic. EU will realign part of its ongoing support to Civil Society Organisations in order to address evolving needs as a result of COVID-19. This includes raising community awareness on prevention and protection; service provision and contributing to the most critical areas of public health preventive initiatives.
The EU, as a major contributor to the international aid system, pledges to promote a coordinated multilateral response, in partnership with the United Nations, International Financial Institutions, as well as the G7 and the G20.
During the 2014-2020 period, the overall EU support to Bhutan amounted to €71.43 M (€49.3 M bilateral and €22.13 M as regional/thematic), focusing on promoting sustainable development, local governance, rural development, supporting civil society organisations, tourism, trade as well as small and medium enterprises.
The impact of the COVID-19 crisis puts at risk the social and economic development gains that Bhutan has made during this time. In light of this, the EU has stepped up its support to respond to the challenges raised by the outbreak, which is also reflective of deep and robust partnership the EU and Bhutan have enjoyed over the past decades, the press release states.
Sonam
