[Interview] Alexandre Laridan has been the operational director of the Tulipe association for 5 years. He manages all the donations made each week by the association and handles relations with members, partners and NGOs in the field. Alexandre Laridan talks about current and future humanitarian operations in Ukraine, as well as the association’s work in other areas.
Why support Tulipe’s work?
Tulipe is the pharmaceutical establishment for pharmaceutical companies. It is unique in France. The pharmaceutical companies that support us can make secure medical donations. This is a guarantee that these donations will go to the right people in the right humanitarian contexts.
How did Tulipe intervene during the war in Ukraine?
Tulipe has been working on the war in Ukraine for several weeks. We were present from the very first 24 hours with a donation of several tonnes with the Crisis and Support Centre of the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs. The first two weeks were punctuated by emergency operations. We intervened with emergency groups on the ground. Today, we have entered a different phase, that of the second emergency, working with the hospitals on the ground, the Ukrainian authorities and also UN OCHA (the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs), which is organising humanitarian aid on the ground.
What is the status of donations on the ground?
On 16 April, we made a very specific shipment to hospitals in Kharkiv and Odessa, both in war zones. So we had very specific requests. That’s why we sent a lot of emergency kits to these hospitals. They are made up of dressings, injectables and products that have been requested. A total of 9 tonnes was sent to these hospitals, and today, a week later, we know that everything has been received.
The Tulipe association monitors donations already made in Ukraine. New donations should be arriving shortly.
How many tonnes of health products have been donated?
In the first two weeks of the emergency, around 20 tonnes of health products were sent, mainly emergency products. With the donation on 16 April, we will have reached a total of 50 tonnes, which for Tulipe corresponds to a full year’s worth of donations in four months.
What donation are you currently preparing?
We are currently preparing a new donation of injectable products for hospitals in the Lviv region. In this region, there are many storage centres, sometimes even in hospitals, which means that health products can be dispatched to other areas of the country where the situation is more difficult. Because of the recent bombings, we have had to move the shipment that will leave tomorrow.
Other areas of intervention for Tulipe
Which medicines will leave for Ukraine tomorrow?
We have a lot of injectable antibiotics, injectable paracetamol and analgesics, which are in great demand in Ukraine. We also have several pallets of Levothyrox, which is currently the most popular dry form in Ukraine. As in France, many patients have thyroid problems.
What other areas does Tulipe operate in?
Initial medical aid is planned for Burma, a country currently in the throes of civil war. Other medical aid is also planned forAfghanistan, where the disruption of medical and food supplies is totally disastrous for the country. We are also working in Burma, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali and Niger. The needs in these African countries are still enormous, and Tulipe is continuing its work there. Finally, we are still running an operation alongside the Order of Malta in Lebanon, a country where the medical situation is very tense. We hope to continue our efforts.
