These masks were provided as a gesture for the contribution and sacrifice made by the Ethiopian war veterans (Kagnew Battalion) during the Korean War.
ADDIS ABABA – On 19thMay 2020, the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Ethiopia delivered masks to the Ethiopian Korean War Veteran Association, in an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19 among the Ethiopian Korean War Veterans (Kagnew Battalion Veterans). These masks were provided by the 70th Anniversary of the Korean War Commemoration Committee of the government of the Republic of Korea (ROK hereafter) in return for the contribution and sacrifice made by the Ethiopian war veterans during the Korean War.
The Embassy announced that a total of 40,000 masks will be delivered to 911 people including war veterans of Kagnew Battalion and their family members. The Embassy will visit each household of the war veterans and their family members in Addis Ababa and the surrounding localities, recognizing the urgent need for masks by the elderly war veterans with an average age of 90, who are highly vulnerable to the risks of COVID-19.
In this ceremony, Mr. Hoon-min Lim, the ROK Ambassador to Ethiopia, said, “The ROK will not forget the significant contribution and the noble sacrifice of the Ethiopian war veterans to protect peace and freedom of the ROK during the Korean War. The ROK has been making an effort to promote the health and welfare of the veterans, and today’s donation is a part of the effort to demonstrate the willingness of the ROK government.” He also added, “On May 12, 2020, the ROK government provided humanitarian assistance to assist in confronting COVID-19 in Ethiopia. The ROK will exert its utmost effort to find cooperative measures for combating COVID-19 in Ethiopia, such as transferring relevant knowledge.”
Mr. Melese Tessema, Head of the Korean War Veterans Association, announced that “The war veterans are grateful for the diverse forms of assistance provided by the Korean counterpart, including medical support and scholarship programs for the descendants of war veterans. This donation of masks is another chance to reaffirm the warm support from the ROK government and the Korean people towards war veterans.” He added, “We are delighted to witness the continued development of bilateral relations between Ethiopia and the ROK, and we would like to request for sustained support of the ROK for the war veterans, their family members, and their descendants.”
Source: Korean Embassy in Ethiopia