Emirates sends ship with 2,400 tonnes of aid to Lebanon
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has sent a ship carrying 2,400 tonnes of aid to Lebanon to support the punished Lebanese population following the terrible explosion in the port of Beirut that left 190 dead and thousands affected.
Upon the directives of Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Ruler's Representative in Al Dhafra Region and Chairman of the Emirates Red Crescent (ERC), an Emirati ship carrying 2,400 tonnes of aid left for Beirut on Tuesday. The ship was dispatched by the ERC, in cooperation with the Lebanese Embassy in the UAE and the Lebanese community in the country to support people affected by the massive explosion at Beirut's port on August 4.
The aid includes food, medical supplies, children's food supplements, sanitisers, personal protective equipment and clothes.
At the port of Jebel Ali in Dubai, several ERC officials and Fouad Chehab Dandan, Lebanese Ambassador to the UAE, watched the ship leave for Beirut.
Dr Mohammed Ateeq Al Falahi, Secretary-General of the ERC, stated that dispatching the humanitarian aid ship is on the directives of the UAE's leadership to support the Lebanese people, and is part of the ERC's humanitarian and relief programme in Lebanon, monitored by Sheikh Hamdan.
The ERC is keen to deliver aid via air and sea and meet the growing needs of the Lebanese people, he added, noting that the ERC's related initiatives will continue. "The ERC has drafted a comprehensive plan, in coordination with the Humanitarian and Development Affairs Office of the UAE Embassy in Beirut and relevant Lebanese authorities, to distribute the ship's contents to people affected by the crisis," Al Falahi said in statements collected by the Emirate state agency WAM.
For his part, Dandan expressed his country's appreciation for the UAE's initiatives and its support for the victims, noting that it was the first country to assist Lebanon following the disaster. "We thank the UAE of giving for its assistance. It has always been a supporter of Lebanon and has shown keenness to ensure Lebanon's security and stability, following the legacy of the Founder of the Union, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan," he said.
The Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) has carried out, through its Humanitarian Aid Office (HAO), a second shipment of humanitarian aid to Lebanon following the explosion on August 4 in Beirut. Following the disaster, Spain has allocated a total of EUR 300 000 in humanitarian aid to Lebanon.
The second shipment consisted of personal protection equipment for rubble removal and family hygiene kits requested by the NGO Caritas Lebanon. The cargo, consisting of 11 pallets weighing 2.2 tonnes, has been transported on a flight of the European Union Humanitarian Air Bridge (EU HAB), the air bridge for humanitarian transport set up by the European Commission to provide assistance to areas in critical situation during the COVID-19 pandemic, together with supplies from other Member States.
