Tripoli, Jun 2 (IANS): The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) on Tuesday announced that Germany would support Libya's Covid-19 vaccination campaign with a fund of 5 million euros ($6.1 million).

The 18-month program will enable UNICEF to scale up its support of the Libyan government by ensuring an adequate cold chain system is in place across the country, facilitate vaccination rollout and boost demand for Covid-19 vaccines, according to a statement issued by the United Nations, the Xinhua news agency reported.

UNICEF expected the support to benefit 4.8 million people, with 1.4 million Covid-19 vaccination priority groups that include migrants and refugees.

The project is also expected to help train 6,000 health staff in vaccination and cold chain management and control, and strengthen 426 health facilities to perform safe, quality, and inclusive vaccinations, the statement added.

"This project would not have been possible to roll out with such speed and efficiency had it not been for the generous support of the Government of Germany. We extend our gratitude for their generosity and look forward to partnering in future projects," said UNICEF Special Representative Abdulkadir Musse.

According to the National Center for Disease Control, nearly 250,000 people have received vaccines since the launch of the national Covid-19 vaccination campaign in April.