General recognition of the great work and leadership of the Emirates in the international fight against the coronavirus
Several nations have wanted to show their recognition and appreciation to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in its international assistance efforts to combat COVID-19, a plague that has already left more than 388,000 dead and over 6.5 million cases diagnosed worldwide.
The UAE has been cooperating with several countries for months to help in the fight against the current coronavirus health crisis, as well as to address the problem on its own territory, where 273 people have died and more than 37,000 have been affected.
In this regard, ambassadors from various countries, including the Arab world, acknowledged the leadership of the UAE in humanitarian work and assistance against the current scourge that is plaguing the planet. Arab and foreign embassies in the Gulf country stressed that the UAE has demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic that it is a "pioneer in humanitarian work" and is "always prepared to help all countries, even in the most difficult circumstances".
In various official statements, they expressed the appreciation of each nation for the UAE's efforts to tackle the coronavirus and for its initiatives to provide first-line medical assistance and supplies against the virus that causes COVID-19 in different parts of the globe.
So far, the Emirates has sent some 708 tonnes of healthcare equipment to more than 62 countries in the international concert, benefiting some 708,000 medical professionals as part of its international assistance campaign. In addition, it has also offered its airport logistics to repatriate nationals of various countries trapped in various regions of the world. A strategy that has been uniquely articulated by the Emirates Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
In this line, Sheikh Khalid bin Abdullah bin Ali bin Hamad al-Khalifa, Bahrain's ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, expressed his deep gratitude to the Emirate for the humanitarian campaign carried out, facilitating the return of Bahraini citizens who were stranded in different territories before the closure of the airspace decreed by the governments to stop the spread of COVID-19. "We value and appreciate the position of the United Arab Emirates with its brothers, as the Kingdom of Bahrain was also in continuous cooperation with its fellow Emirati citizens upon their return from the Kingdom of Bahrain to their homeland, asking the All-Powerful to lift the current scourge," Khalid bin Abdullah bin Ali bin Hamad al-Khalifa said in an official statement.
For his part, the UK Ambassador to the UAE, Patrick Moody, confirmed that his country welcomes the Arab nation's commitment to support global efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. "Each of our two countries provided assistance to countries around the world, and the important Global Vaccine Summit will take place later this year to raise funds for the Global Vaccine Alliance, with the support of the United Arab Emirates," said Patrick Moody.
It is important to highlight the great work of support that the Emirates has given to the fight against the coronavirus in the United Kingdom. With outstanding actions such as the field hospital that was installed in the ExCeL exhibition centre in London, owned by the National Exhibition Company of Abu Dhabi (ADNEC); a centre that was given to the British National Health Service (NHS) to constitute the temporary NHS Nightingale hospital, with 4,000 beds to serve patients affected by the coronavirus. In addition, on 5 April, the UAE facilitated the repatriation of 345 British tourists who were visiting on Emirati soil.
Indonesia's ambassador to the UAE, Hussein Bajis, expressed his high appreciation for the humanitarian assistance provided by the Middle Eastern nation to many countries affected by the coronavirus outbreak, including Indonesia. He noted that the medical aid and supplies sent reflect the close relationship between the two sister nations. "These initiatives have demonstrated the continued success of the UAE government in providing medical assistance and foreign aid as one of the main pillars of its foreign policy, identified in the values of the late UAE founding leader Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al-Nahyan.
On the other hand, the extraordinary ambassador of Armenia in the United Arab Emirates, Mher Mkrtumyan, indicated that the medical and preventive assistance of the Emirates has also reached the Armenian capital of Yerevan to fight against the coronavirus within a remarkable strategy developed by the Gulf country, which he wanted to emphasize: "The Republic of Armenia greatly appreciates this step, which witnesses and affirms the long-standing friendship between our two friendly peoples and the treatment of distinction towards our country. We are convinced that with our joint efforts and strong cooperation we can withstand this crisis". He also noted the high-level bilateral dialogue between the two nations and the strong cooperation in emergency situations, especially at the present time when all countries are trying to address the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic; noting recent contacts between Armenian President Armen Sarkissian and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, to discuss the fight against the coronavirus and to address issues of mutual concern in developing bilateral cooperation, which will also include such matters as food security and artificial intelligence. The Armenian Ambassador thanked the UAE Government for its remarkable steps towards humanitarian aid and its efforts to fight the coronavirus, in continuous support of citizens and residents.
For his part, the Sierra Leonean Ambassador to the UAE, Rashid Sesay, also appreciated the planning led by Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan and followed entirely by the people of the United Arab Emirates to provide medical equipment to the African country during these difficult times, which has been of great help to the national health system. The diplomat reaffirmed the appreciation of his fellow citizens for the leadership shown by the Emirates in the fight against COVID-19.
In this line, the Romanian Ambassador to the Emirates, Adrian Macelaru, confirmed that the Gulf country has shown in this complicated situation that it is a partner that can be trusted, also expressing the appreciation of the Eastern European country for the medical assistance generously provided by the UAE, which contributed to sustain the first line of defense of health workers in the country; something that shows the excellent bilateral relations between both nations.
In this way, the UAE is becoming a major global player in international cooperation to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. The Middle Eastern country is redoubling its efforts to support other nations in mitigating the effects of the feared coronavirus and its collaboration has already reached 62 countries. In conjunction with institutions such as the World Health Organization (WHO).
Collaboration has even been with world powers such as the United States. The Government of the United Arab Emirates and Etihad Airways had already worked for some time in the United Arab Emirates to repatriate 25 American citizens who had been unable to travel because of the outbreak of the coronavirus. In addition, the Emirates' Ambassador to the United States, Yousef al-Otaiba, met with the US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, to give a message of support and solidarity from Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan, the Emirates' Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, in this difficult situation. The UAE Embassy in Washington also became a donor to the National Children's Hospital, which provided COVID-19 screening tests for young patients. Meanwhile, the Gulf nation also provided charitable support to Spanish chef Jose Andres within the Central Kitchen of the World project, which is distributing 50,000 fresh, packaged meals to needy communities; and the Arab nation's Embassy also supports Feed the Fight, an organization that is serving meals to health workers, and Good Food Markets, which is providing groceries to needy residents of the Washington capital.
China is also another major player in international politics with which the Emirates has established cooperative ties to tackle the coronavirus. After the initial outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, the United Arab Emirates provided medical supplies, including masks and gloves, to China. On 26 January, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan told the social networking site Twitter of the details of this joint effort: "We are closely following the Chinese government's efforts to contain the spread of the coronavirus. We are confident in their ability to overcome this crisis. The United Arab Emirates is ready to provide full support to China and cooperate with the international community to tackle this virus".
The UAE has also helped the Islamic Republic of Iran, one of the countries hardest hit by COVID-19 in the Middle East. In collaboration with the World Health Organization, the UAE sent tons of medical supplies and five WHO experts to Tehran March 3 and March 17 to assist 48,000 health personnel.
Another area that received assistance from the Emirates was Iraqi Kurdistan, which has supported 6,000 medical professionals in the region. In addition, the UAE recently sent supplies to Russia, specifically to the Dagestan region and to a civil war-torn country like Yemen.
This assistance extends to many other nations, including supranational entities such as the African Union, which distributed tons of health supplies coordinated by the WHO and the Emirates, equipment that was distributed to 30 African nations.
