Laboratory sample bags sent by Kuwait to help Iraq's Kurdistan region. - KUNA

IRBIL: Kuwait has provided Kurdistan with laboratory sample bags to help the Iraqi region in facing the impact of the deadly coronavirus pandemic, the World Health Organization revealed yesterday. The region is home to hundreds of thousands of Iraqi and Syrian refugees, who will benefit from the WHO-administered assistance, the organization said in a statement.

This comes after Kuwait last month provided 13 tons of medical assistance for healthcare workers, worth $1 million, and contributed to delivering six ambulances and 22 tons of health equipment to the region in August. WHO expressed its gratitude to the Kuwaiti government for providing the funds for the lifesaving support.

The COVID-19 pandemic has hit the region hard, as Health Minister Saman Barzinji expressed anxiety over the rising cases. The positive case average has risen to 3.1 percent, edging closer to the 5 percent limit, with infections rising twofold recently since the highest numbers recorded earlier, Barzinji warned in a statement. - KUNA