KOICA and UNOPS Partner to Strengthen Indonesia’s Pandemic Response

Funded by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), UNOPS is delivering more than $2.4 million worth of personal protective equipment, testing and monitoring equipment to help support Indonesia’s COVID-19 response.

The partnership is a positive step towards supporting the Government of Indonesia’s efforts to respond to and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, and strengthen national health systems.

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, Indonesia has consistently recorded some of the highest number of daily new cases among its Southeast Asian neighboring countries, surpassing a million milestone. Much like the rest of the world, the spread of the virus has not just posed severe health challenges, but also a longer-term socio-economic impact.

KOICA partnering with UNOPS – the UN’s infrastructure and procurement specialist, to support Indonesian government response and recovery efforts, to help provide personal protective equipment, as well as testing and monitoring equipment to public transport stations in the Jakarta Greater Area.

The support is part of KOICA’s response mechanism, called “Agenda for Building Resilience against COVID-19 through Development Cooperation.”

In Indonesia, KOICA is running an inclusive cooperation programme to combat COVID-19 with the total budget of $6 million. Working together with UNOPS, KOICA is contributing to national efforts to expand testing for COVID-19 by providing Polymerase Chain Reaction test machines along with test cartridges.

To strengthen prevention capacities at LRT stations - places with an increased risk for virus transmission – KOICA and UNOPS are jointly delivering public health monitoring items, such as

thermal imaging cameras, thermal screen monitors, and escalator handrail UV light sterilizers. Face masks and other supplies are also being delivered to the government to better protect the public.

During the uncertain months and years ahead, efforts to strengthen the health infrastructure will be crucial. It goes beyond meeting the immediate needs through procurement.

“UNOPS Indonesia is committed to support the Government of Indonesia in its path to recovery from the pandemic and to mitigate the impact on the health and livelihoods of its people for the future to ensure that no one is left behind.”, said UNOPS Country Manager in Indonesia, Jolanda Jonkhart.

“Post the COVID-19 outbreak, Korean people have been helping the people of Indonesia through KOICA since April 2020. Despite prolonged difficulties caused by the disease, we wish the Indonesian people well and ask them not to lose hope, but instead get over this unitedly,” said Hoejin Jeong, the Country Director of KOICA Indonesia office.

Within the Asia-Pacific region, in addition to support for Indonesia, KOICA and UNOPS work together to provide emergency procurement support to help combat COVID-19 in seven other countries including Cambodia, Vietnam, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan. In Africa, support is provided to Ethiopia, as well as the Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

About KOICA:

KOICA's mandate is to contribute to the advancement of international cooperation through various projects that build friendly and collaborative relationships and mutual exchanges between Korea and developing countries and support the economic and social development in developing countries.

Read more: www.koica.go.kr

About UNOPS:

UNOPS mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve peace and sustainable development. We help the United Nations, governments and other partners to manage projects, and deliver sustainable infrastructure and procurement in an efficient way. To support COVID-19 mitigation and response efforts across the Pacific countries, UNOPS is working closely with the UN family and local governments using Emergency Procurement Procedures to address immediate needs and respond to the longer-term impacts of COVID-19.

Read more: www.unops.org