Can There Be a Truly “International” Response to the Coronavirus?

02.04.2020

Photo: Illustration (by Martin Sanchez on Unsplash)

The world is witnessing unprecedented declarations of solidarity against the new coronavirus that has become a global pandemic, known as COVID-19. The disease has crossed borders and afflicted both sides of age-long rivalries across the planet. Yet in many cases the support does not go beyond the rhetorical, and there have even been outbursts of new hatred, ethnic and nationalist, against Chinese people since it was in China that the virus started and narrow self-interest has continued to predominate for many states, despite public messaging. Few in the family of nations have demonstrated the necessary cooperative spirit to defeating the virus, with a few exceptions who have provided a possible example of how the international community can come together to handle this crisis.

The Chinese Model

In mid-March, Chinese medical staff landed in Italy, lending a helping hand to the devastated European nation.[1] It sold face masks, protective suits, ventilators, and test kits after Italy’s death toll rose to 5,476, making it the worst yet in Europe.[2] It also sent medical assistance and protective kits to Spain, which suffers from nearly 30,000 infections and 1,813 deaths.[3] On 21 March, China sent medical assistance to the Philippines, which has 19 confirmed cases to date, with 18 deaths, prompting its Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin to remark: “China is a model for what the rest of the world should be doing. Instead of blaming each other for what’s happening, we should all start working together.[4]” On the very same day, Beijing announced that it would be sending similar aid to Serbia.[5] The Chinese government has won significant praise for its provision of bilateral support to some of the most afflicted nations.

The Saudi Model

Even as aid flows from China to states like Italy, providing help to China has become fraught with politics as states wrestle to assign blame for the crisis. The United States said that it was sending aid to, but according to the Chinese, none of it has reached their hospitals yet. “We thank the American people for their kind help but as a matter of fact, we haven’t received $1 from the US government” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying.[6] The Chinese government remains furious with US President Donald Trump for insisting to call COVID-19 the “China Virus” because it first surfaced in the city of Wuhan.

Saudi Arabia has risen above these squabbles and sent ultrasound machines to China, along with ventilators, and patient monitors.[7] In addition to this state-to-state assistance, on 9 March, King Salman contributed $10 million USD to the World Health Organization (WHO) to boost global efforts at combating COVID-19.[8]

The United Arab Emirates Model

The U.A.E. has adopted a model somewhere in between the Chinese and Saudi models, targeting aide both by areas that are most affected and — rather than being apolitical — using the aide in effect to further political harmony.

Like Saudi Arabia, the U.A.E. has sent needed medical supplies bilaterally, including to China, directly to Wuhan — and evacuated 215 people of different nationalities from China’s Hubei Province to the Emirates Humanitarian City in Abu Dhabi. In early March, the U.A.E. sent medical aid to Afghanistan worth $3.5 million USD, after one person was confirmed with the deadly disease.[9] Abu Dhabi also dispatched professional health-workers to Kabul, along with 20,000 testing units and equipment.

In a novel use of humanitarian aide to advance strategic peace, on March 3, the U.A.E. sent a shipment of aid to Iran, a state with which many on the Gulf have serious political qualms, carrying 7.5 tons of medical supplies, followed by another two aircrafts on 16 March, with 32 metric tons of supplies, including gloves, surgical masks, and protective equipment.[10] The Islamic Republic of Iran is among the country’s worst hit by the virus, with 1,000 deaths and no less than 16,000 infections.[11]

U.A.E. Minister of State for International Cooperation Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashemy, commented on the aid that her country was sending, saying that it was “consistent with our country’s founding humanitarian principles”.[12] U.A.E. aid to Tehran is not a small thing, given the troubled relations between the two countries over a multitude of political issues—from Yemen to Syria to the islands of Abu Musa, Greater Tunb, and Lesser Tunb. And U.A.E. Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed added to this act of fraternity by getting on the phone with his Iranian counterpart, Mohammad Javad Zarif, to discuss ways to cooperatively combat COVID-19.[13]

Shifting Sands?

There have been prior pandemics or would-be pandemics — SARS, Ebola, and Swine Flu — some of which were more lethal than COVID-19 but were thankfully contained before they spread over so large an area and to so many people. Pandemics, of course, are only one global crisis that requires cooperation to solve; there is also global warming, forest fires, human and drug smuggling, child soldiers, and counterterrorism. The ideologies of hate that fuel so many of these problems also have to be defeated by international efforts, and the current COVID-19 crisis is unleashing old and new forms of bigotry that will create more problems going forward. Heretofore, these issues have tended to be handled almost exclusively by the United Nations or the United States or some combination of both. In this crisis, however, both the U.N. and the U.S. have shown severe limitations and perhaps provided a window of opportunity for other states to take the lead in the international system by the force of their example.

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REFERENCES

[1] Wood, Johnny. “China is sending medical experts and supplies to help Italy fight Coronavirus” World Economic Forum (March 16, 2020): https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/03/coronavirus-covid-19-italy-china-supplies/

[2] Mayberry, Kate – Pietromarchi, Virginia – Aslaafin, Linah. “Italy Coronavirus death at 5476” Al-Jazeera English (March 23, 2020): https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/03/italy-tightens-lockdown-coronavirus-deaths-mount-live-updates-200321233509033.html

[3] “Cina to help Spain fight Covid-19” The Star (March 16, 2020): https://www.thestar.com.my/news/regional/2020/03/16/china-to-help-spain-fight-covid-19-epidemic

[4] “China donates medical supplies to Philippines to combat Covid-19” The Star (March 21, 2020): https://www.thestar.com.my/news/regional/2020/03/21/china-donates-medical-supplies-to-philippines-to-combat-covid-19

[5] “Xi says China to send medical experts to help Serbia fight Covid-19” Xinhua Net (March 21, 2020): http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-03/21/c_138902875.htm

[6] Khaliq, Riyaz. “China says it has received no US aid” Anadolu Agency (March 21, 2020: https://www.aa.com.tr/en/latest-on-coronavirus-outbreak/covid-19-china-says-it-has-received-no-us-aid-/1773739

[7] Serrieh, Joanne. “Coronavirus: Saudi Arabia sends assistant to China” Al-Arabiya (March 11, 2020): http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/gulf/2020/03/11/Coronavirus-Saudi-Arabia-sends-assistance-to-China.html

[8] “King Salman orders $10m payment to WHO to aid fight against Coronavirus” Arab News (March 9, 2020): https://arab.news/px8jv

[9] Hasan, Saleh. “Li Muwajahet Corona: Musaadat Emaratiya ila Afghanistan” (To Combat Corona: Emirates Aid to Afghanistan), Al-Ain News, March 4, 2020: https://al-ain.com/article/uae-afghanistan-fight-coronavirus

[10] “Covid-19: UAE sends aid flight to Iran to support fight against Coronavirus,” Khaleej Times (March 16, 2020): https://www.khaleejtimes.com/coronavirus-outbreak/covid-19-uae-sends-aid-flight-to-iran-to-support-fight-against-coronavirus

[11] Mark, Michelle. “The Coronavirus has caused a full breakdown in Iran,” Business Insider (March 18, 2020): https://www.businessinsider.com/iran-coronavirus-covid19-deaths-cases-updates-2020-3

[12] “Covid-19: UAE sends aid flight to Iran to support fight against Coronavirus,” Khaleej Times (March 16, 2020): https://www.khaleejtimes.com/coronavirus-outbreak/covid-19-uae-sends-aid-flight-to-iran-to-support-fight-against-coronavirus

[13] “Tawun bayn al-Emirates wa Iran li Muwajahet Corona” (Cooperation between the UAE and Iran to fight Corona), Middle East Online (16 March 2020): https://tinyurl.com/s28w3vm