Shenzhen is donating 460,000 surgical masks to 12 African countries, including Egypt, Togo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Zambia, Mali, Tunisia, Sudan, South Sudan, Botswana, Comoros and Cameroon, to help their pressing need in the fight against COVID-19. The masks will be airlifted in batches.

A donation ceremony, organized by the city’s foreign affairs office, was held in NEO Building in Futian District yesterday.

“I believe this donation is going to help and support many people out there in Africa. It is a good job what Shenzhen has done to Africa. I would like to say thank you for all of this,” said Mena Biru, an Ethiopian employee of Transsion, a Shenzhen-based mobile phone manufacturer, at the ceremony.

The city government and the private sector have continued to step up cooperation with Africa since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in efforts to help alleviate a shortage of medical supplies on the continent.

On April 23, the city government and medical specialists shared their experience in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic with Kenya’s health ministry via a video conference.

Shenzhen has also shared a bilingual version of “Diagnosis and Treatment for COVID-19,” “Essential Handbook for Quarantine at Home” and “Guidelines for Epidemic Prevention and Control at Home” to help sister cities in Africa fight against the pandemic.

More and more Shenzhen enterprises have pitched in to assist Africa in the virus fight. Huawei, BGI, Transsion and DJI have joined hands with local governments in Africa in virus testing, drone-based disinfection, video communication and publicity of information to strengthen epidemic prevention and control.

“In partnership with the U.N. Refugee Agency, we’ve donated 50,000 masks and a batch of Tecno tablets to the refugee camp in Kenya, in a bid to contribute to the sustainable education of refugee children,” said Song Yingnan, director of the president’s office of Transsion.

Commissioned by the Angolan Government, BGI will build five “Huo-Yan” laboratories in Angola, which can process 6,000 samples per day.

DJI has used drones in Tunisia, Morocco, South Africa and other countries to help them fight against the pandemic.

“We will continue to increase exchanges and cooperation with consulates and embassies, keep abreast of the epidemic situation in Africa, and strive to provide more help in supplies and experience exchange,” said Gu Ting, full-time vice president of Shenzhen People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.