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WORLD NEWS Saturday 9 January 2021
WHO: Rich nations, vaccine firms should stop bilateral deals

GENEVA (AP) — The World "As it relates to COVAX, we
Health Organization chief support its goal to supply
appealed on Friday to mak- two billion COVID-19 vac-
ers of COVID-19 vaccines cine doses in 2021 to coun-
and the wealthier countries tries around the world, with
buying them to "stop mak- half of those going to (low-
ing bilateral deals," saying and middle-income coun-
they hurt a U.N.-backed ef- tries)" she said. "We are in
fort to widen access to the active negotiations with
jabs. COVAX to help it reach this
Tedros Adhanom Ghe- goal and hope to finalize
breyesus said 42 countries an agreement very soon."
are now rolling out such The WHO appeals come
vaccines, mostly high-in- as the world has faced
come and a few middle-in- high case counts in recent
come countries. He called weeks -- roughly 4 million
on countries that have new confirmed infections
more jabs than they need per week, said WHO emer-
to make some available to gencies chief Dr. Michael
the COVAX Facility — the Ryan.
U.N.-backed project to get Tedros said some of the
vaccines deployed widely. highest numbers of deaths
"Now, we are also seeing recorded at any point in
both high- and middle- In this Thursday, June 25, 2020 file photo, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the the pandemic have turned
World Health Organization (WHO), attends a press conference, at the (WHO) headquarters in Ge-
income countries that are neva, Switzerland. up in recent days, and
part of COVAX making ad- Associated Press faulted a lack of compli-
ditional bilateral deals," he ance with recommenda-
told reporters in Geneva. able, which is needed for more to help broaden ac- Dr. Bruce Aylward, a special tions of health authorities.
"This potentially bumps up the U.N. health agency to cess to vaccines. adviser to the WHO chief, The WHO also said a team
the price for everyone and be able to provide "emer- But Canada, for exam- said 50% of high-income of experts who had origi-
means high-risk people in gency use listings" that can ple, is known to have far countries are deploying nally expected to arrive in
the poorest and most mar- expedite their deployment. greater access to vaccines vaccines — and "zero per- China this week to look into
ginalized countries don't The lack of such data that its population needs. cent" of poor countries are. the origins of the pandemic
get the vaccine." "blocks the whole system of And partners Pfizer and Bi- "That is not equitable ac- had not yet arrived, saying
"I urge countries and manu- procurement and delivery," oNTech, which make the cess," he said. that now, "we expect to fix
facturers to stop making bi- he said. first vaccine that received Sharon Castillo, a Pfizer the travel dates next week."
lateral deals at the expense WHO officials, who gener- emergency use approval spokeswoman, said her On Tuesday, Tedros said
of COVAX," said Tedros, the ally shun finger-pointing from the WHO and coun- company and BioNTech he was "very disappointed"
WHO director-general. at specific countries and tries like the U.S. and Britain, "are firmly committed to that Chinese officials had
Tedros also urged manu- companies that they need have not reached a deal equitable and affordable not finalized the needed
facturers to make the data to work with, did not spec- to take part in the COVAX access" to their vaccine for permissions for the team's
about their vaccines avail- ify which ones need to do Facility. people around the world. arrival in China.q

Migrants in burnt Bosnia camp wait for new tents in blizzard

By KEMAL SOFTIC tional Organization for Mi- near the border with Euro-
Associated Press gration in Bosnia, Peter Van pean Union member Croa-
BIHAC, Bosnia-Herzegovi- der Auweraert, said on Twit- tia.
na (AP) — Bosnian authori- ter later Friday that some Authorities first said they
ties have started moving of the migrants would get would move the camp resi-
some migrants and refu- sheltered Friday and the dents to another location,
gees stuck at a burnt out rest on Saturday. but the transfer plan was
camp into heated tents, a Some of the people at the called off after local citi-
U.N. migration official said destroyed camp didn't zens organized protests.
Friday, as fresh snow and wear socks or jackets as Bosnia's armed forces put
freezing weather added to they waited to receive food up the new tents last week,
the misery of people strand- parcels from aid groups. but the tents apparently
ed in the Balkan country "Many days go and I didn't had not been made fully
while trying to reach West- take a shower, and we ready to occupy by the
ern Europe. don't have electricity," said time the weather wors-
Hundreds of Lipa camp Mohammad Afsal, from ened on Friday. People Migrants cook inside a makeshift shelter at the Lipa camp, out-
residents tried to warm up Pakistan. were staying in small, un- side Bihac, Bosnia, Friday, Jan. 8, 2021.
around fires during a bliz- "Please stand with us and heated tents and contain- Associated Press
zard at the the facility in help us. We are in a very, ers as snow fell and trying
northwest Bosnia as author- very bad condition!" to stay dry under make-shift grants in Bosnia who are tia, from where it would be
ities rushed to equip some Bosnia has faced interna- nylon covers. trying to reach Western Eu- easier to travel on to other
20 new tents meant to ac- tional criticism for leaving "It's too cold," Mohammad rope. They are mostly con- EU member countries.
commodate them. A Dec. some 1,000 people with- Jasar, also from Pakistan, centrated in the northwest Migrants have complained
23 fire gutted most of the out shelter after the fire said. "We have too much of the Balkan country, in they often face pushbacks
camp. engulfed the squalid Lipa trouble here in Lipa camp." the hope of crossing illegal- and violence at the hands
The head of the Interna- camp, which is located There are thousands of mi- ly into neighboring Croa- of Croatia's police.q