The African Airlines Association (AFRAA) has issued a statement condemning the decisions by some EU countries to ban travel to South Africa and other neighbouring countries in Southern Africa. The following statement was issued in Nairobi on 03 December 2021.
The commendable
work done by South African scientists in unearthing and transparently
announcing to the world the discovery of the Omicron strain of SARS CoV-2 instead
of attracting applause was met with harsh and uncoordinated travel
restrictions. Unfortunately, in nearly two years since Covid-19 was first
discovered, it appears we have not learned useful lessons that could lead to
finding a permanent solution to the pandemic.
The unscientific, poorly targeted, knee-jerk reactions that have not helped
much in containing the SARS CoV-2 virus since March 2020 seem to be the
preferred response to scientific challenges of our time. Restricting travel has
never been the solution to curtailing the spread of COVID. On the contrary,
such restrictions have adversely impacted economies and unleash untold
hardship.
In the case of Omicron, the hasty decisions by some EU countries to ban travel
to South Africa and other neighbouring countries in Southern Africa, is in
stark contrast to the numerous unheeded appeals to the western world to ensure
equitable access to vaccines around the world. While stockpiling excess
vaccines they may never need at the expense of developing countries that remain
in a long queue for their supplies, the developed world is yet to fully
understand that COVID19 virus does not discriminate.
AFRAA Secretary General, Mr. Abdérahmane Berthé stated: “The Omicron variant is
now detected in several regions of the world, yet the travel bans seem to be
targeted at Africa. This is an affront to the global efforts to find an
enduring solution. We will be better off confronting the virus if we work
together for solutions and avoid discrimination.”
The African Airlines Association (AFRAA) is calling on all countries that have issued unilateral travel restriction to immediately revoke them and instead seek collaborative measures that will address the COVID challenge holistically. Besides vaccination, there are tried and tested protocols that have proven effective in curbing the spread of COVID19. These must continue to apply while we work together towards neutralizing or eliminating the virus.
AFRAA is also urging African governments to speak out at any attempts to smear the continent with propaganda and medical mischief. They must remind the world that we can only defeat Covid together not divided.
About AFRAA [About AFRAA below not to be translated as it exists in FR]
The African Airlines Association, also known by its acronym AFRAA, is a trade association of airlines from the member states of the African Union (AU). Founded in Accra, Ghana, in April 1968, and
AFRAA membership of 44 airlines cuts across the entire continent and includes all the major intercontinental African operators. The Association members represent over 85% of total international traffic carried by African airlines. Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.
0 Comments