- IHC airlifts WHO trauma kits and medical equipment to Somalia from Dubai warehouses following attacks that left more than 120 dead and 300 injured, reaching 55,000 beneficiaries
- 60% of the cost of the operation was funded through the IHC’s Global Humanitarian Impact Fund (GHIF), which mobilizes resources from across the private and public sectors
- IHC’s swift response to humanitarian crises affirms its role in leading from the front and enhancing global humanitarian preparedness
08 November 2022, Dubai – UAE – The International Humanitarian City (IHC) promptly responded to and supported the World Health Organisation (WHO) with the dispatch and transport of much-needed aid to Mogadishu, Somalia, following a deadly car bombing that claimed the lives of more than 120 people and injured at least 300 others.
A consignment including 38 metric tons of trauma kits and surgical equipment – valued at approximately USD 130,000 – was airlifted earlier today and will support first responders in the Somalian capital, helping alleviate the suffering of around 55,000 people due to the overwhelming effects of the car bombing.
Giuseppe Saba, CEO of IHC, said: “In line with the commitment and mandate of the IHC, the City responded to the request of the WHO to assist with the urgent dispatch of aid to Somalia. The IHC facilitated and funded the logistics and transportation cost, accounting for 60% of the total operation’s cost through its Global Humanitarian Impact Fund (GHIF). The GHIF mobilizes resources from the private and public sectors to swiftly respond to emerging humanitarian crises, affirming the role the IHC plays, leading from the front and enhancing global humanitarian preparedness.’’
Dr. Ahmed Al-Mandhari, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, said: “As part of a broad United Nations response to the blasts in Mogadishu, the World Health Organization, in partnership with International Humanitarian City, is now delivering another 38 metric tons of trauma and emergency surgery medicines, infusions, and supplies to reinforce recovery efforts. On Saturday, WHO’s Logistics Hub in Dubai coordinated the first charter flight carrying supplies to treat approximately 2,500 patients for trauma and burn-related injuries. These additional supplies are critically needed to ensure that essential medicines and infusions are available in Mogadishu to care for blast victims and prevent further loss of life. Thanks to the support of the Dubai Government, the International Humanitarian City, and the Government of the UAE, WHO’s logistics hub in Dubai can rapidly respond to acute health emergencies around the world to deliver humanitarian aid to those in greatest need, in line with our collective Regional vision of “Health for all, by all.”
In 2022, Somalia was among the top 10 recipient countries to receive humanitarian aid from IHC members and partners, which in addition to the WHO, include other UN agencies and world-leading humanitarian organizations such as the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the World Food Programme (WFP), and the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC). Founded in 2003, the IHC houses aid across its 140,000 sqm warehouses at a crossroads between the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and far East and South Asia, with assistance dispatched from the city reaching two-thirds of the world’s most vulnerable populations in about four hours.