The Deputy Prime Minister of Slovakia and Minister of Environment Tomas Taraba has reiterated his country’s commitment to global well-being through humanitarian aid initiatives.
The Deputy Prime Minister who landed in Kenya on Monday night for the sixth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-6), particularly expressed solidarity with Kenya in efforts aimed at supporting communities in need and fostering resilience in the face of environmental challenges.
Taraba brought with him a comprehensive package of humanitarian aid aimed at alleviating the challenges faced by the El-Niño-affected communities in Tana River, Kenya.
“We are more than happy to assist through the annual relief program to help Kenya. For this reason, my delegation has brought the first package of humanitarian aid that will consist of four parts. The first goes to areas affected by natural disasters that confirms there is a real climate change,” he said
The donation was warmly received at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport by Ambassador Rose Makena, the Director of the Europe & Commonwealth Directorate at the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, alongside Dr. Ahmed Idris, the Secretary General of the Kenya Red Cross Society and the Ambassador of the Slovak Republic to Kenya Katarína Leligdonová.
“The Tana River population has been affected by subsequent floods and droughts. We are delighted that we are not only discussing the assistance, but also having a robust discussion on how to help the communities support themselves better and enhance their livelihoods, making use of the Tana River Basin, based on the experience of the people of Slovakia,” said Dr. Ahmed Idris, the Secretary General of Kenya Red Cross
“His Excellency Tomas Taraba is coming to attend the meeting, the UNEA-6, but we are very excited that he remembered to bring this humanitarian aid to the people of Kenya. We are very thankful for that,” said Ambassador Makena
The Deputy Prime Minister underscored Slovakia’s dedication to supporting Kenya’s education and healthcare systems through new technologies.
“We are ready to help digitalization of schools in Kenya in order to enlarge the possibilities of the young generation to be successful in the job market,” the Slovak Republic Minister said
“We want to bring some useful medical assistance and healthcare products that will improve the ability of Kenya’s health system to assist people,” he added
Taraba who is set to hold a meeting with President William Ruto further indicated Slovakia’s willingness to share experiences with Kenya on various development-related matters.
“We are ready to share our experiences from the point of view of cyber security, water and flood management, production of green energy, and agriculture and many other areas where Slovakia has been successful,” he said even as he reiterated the importance of international collaboration in addressing pressing issues such as climate-related emergencies.
On Tuesday, the Deputy Prime Minister handed over the AgeVolt electric battery, a gift of the Slovak Republic to the UN Headquarters Office in Nairobi.
