Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, upon request of the humanitarian community, has ordered two emergency aid flights to transport much needed aid to both Ethiopia and Sudan.
The International Humanitarian City in Dubai (IHC) facilitated two Boeing 747 cargo flights, made available upon directions from His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The first flight left from Dubai International Airport to Addis Ababa on Friday 10th September, carrying 57.675 metric tons of medicines, medical items, and cholera kits supplied by the World Health Organization (WHO) to tackle the cholera outbreak and ongoing COVID-19 challenges in Ethiopia.
Meanwhile the second flight left DXB to Khartoum on Monday 13th September, carrying around 100 metric tons of relief and shelter items, including blankets, kitchen sets, and tarpaulins, provided by The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to support the Tigray refugees in Sudan and the affected populations by the floods there.
His Excellency Mohammed Al Shaibani, chairman of the Supreme Committee for the supervision of IHC, said: “The two airlifts have been operated with a B747 aircraft that is part of the Dubai Royal Air Wing fleet, which is another tangible expression of solidarity from His Highness. Last year, another aircraft from Dubai Air Wing, landed in Beirut in less than 24 hours from the terrible blast. His Excellency added, “IHC and the humanitarian community that we are hosting went extra-miles due the increasing demand of humanitarian assistance, and IHC facilitated and will continue -by all means- to facilitate the dispatch of aid provided by the humanitarian community stored in IHC warehouses in Dubai, to support the Sudanese population affected by the floods and to help tens of thousands of refugees and displaced individuals fleeing the Tigray region of Ethiopia to Sudan.” “Thanks to the generosity and the ongoing support from His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the IHC along with its members are all able to respond to emergencies globally and help those most in need.” His Excellency concluded.
Robert Blanchard from the WHO Logistics team in Dubai said: “We are grateful for the tremendous support provided by the UAE as we continue to strengthen our health logistics capabilities to protect vulnerable populations around the world. The health supplies on the flight to Addis Ababa alone are enough to care for 140,000 patients in need of trauma care and 15,000 cholera patients. The generosity of the UAE and our partnership with the International Humanitarian City make it possible for WHO to mount rapid responses to acute health emergencies, ultimately alleviating suffering and saving the lives of those in need.”
Ilir Caushaj, Head of IFRC’s Global Fleet and Logistics Hub in Dubai, said: “We are very grateful to the International Humanitarian City and the Government of Dubai. We are working around the clock to extend our lifesaving aid to people in need. These items will go a long way in ensuring that hundreds of Sudanese families affected by flooding and Ethiopian refugees now living in Sudan have access to blankets, kitchen sets and tarpaulins. Flooding, soaring inflation, access to clean water and COVID19 are some of the challenges that the people of Sudan are experiencing today and IFRC is working alongside the Sudanese Red Crescent Society to provide them with assistance. The aid flight is expected to aid 21,500 beneficiaries, with a total cost of CHF 259,000”.