Health

Red Cross urges vaccine donations to Southeast Asia, hit hard by fierce new wave of COVID-19

Various Southeast Asain Cities, Jul 13 (EFE/EPA).- The International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC) on Tuesday urged the acceleration of Covid-19 vaccine deliveries to countries in Southeast Asia, hit hard by a fierce new wave of the pandemic linked in part to the Delta variant.Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia are some of the countries most affected, having consistently registered record numbers of deaths and daily cases recently, and as vaccinations are carried out slowly and hospitals are full or overwhelmed."Millions of people in Asia are living on the cruel and sharp edge of a global vaccine divide between richer countries that have a steady supply and most nations in Asia that are struggling to access sufficient doses to keep their populations safe," said Alexander Matheou, IFRC Asia-Pacific director, in a statement. (Camera: ARCHIVE).ARCHIVE FOOTAGE SHOWS AUTHORITIES DISTRIBUTE FINANCIAL AIDS TO CORONAVIRUS-HIT FAMILIES IN QUEZON CITY, PHILIPPINES; CORONAVIRUS CHECKPOINTS IN BALI, INDONESIA; VACCINATION DRIVE IN BANGKOK, THAILAND; EMPTY STREETS AND SUPERMARKETS IN HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM; AND MASS GRAVE FOR COVID-19 VICTIMS AT CEMETERY IN JAKARTA, INDONESIA.