UAE sends aid to Pakistan following heavy flooding

Assistance will help around 75,000 people in the southern regions of Sindh

Powered by automated translation

The UAE distributed urgent aid to southern Pakistan on Wednesday to help people affected by heavy flooding.

Successive days of storms led to extreme floods across areas in the province of Sindh, including its capital Karachi. During a single day last week, 18 Karachi residents died from flood-related incidents. The water was so deep in places that children were seen swimming in the streets, reported AFP.

More than 100 Pakistanis died last month because of the monsoon, which also destroyed more than 1,000 homes.

On Wednesday, Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation’s relief team distributed supplies including medicines, tents, blankets and baby formula to around 75,000 people in Sindh.

It was the seventh aid shipment to leave the UAE this week.

On Tuesday, a ship loaded with 2,400 tonnes of aid left the Emirates for Beirut. The aid included food, medical supplies, children’s food supplements, sanitisers, personal protective equipment and clothes. It was dispatched by Emirates Red Crescent to support the Lebanese community affected by last month's explosion at Beirut Port that killed almost 180 people and injured more than 6,000.

The UAE also sent five tonnes of medical aid to Myanmar to bolster the country's efforts to curb the spread of Covid-19. The medical supplies and testing kits are expected to help 5,000 medics.

Another five tonnes of medical supplies were sent to Cambodia on Tuesday to help 5,000 healthcare workers treat Covid-19 patients.

"The UAE hopes that such assistance will contribute to strengthening capacity among healthcare professionals in Cambodia and offering protection as they combat the virus," said Saif Al Shamsi, UAE Ambassador to Thailand and Non-Resident Ambassador to Cambodia.

And Emirates Red Crescent sent medical aid to Damascus. The shipment included basic supplies to assist front-line medical staff and support efforts to contain the virus in Syria.

On Sunday, an aid ship carrying food and school supplies from the UAE arrived at the Port of Al Mukalla in Yemen, in support of the people of Hadramaut.

A day before, the UAE sent a third aid plane carrying 16.5 metric tons of medical supplies and testing kits to Kazakhstan. The shipment is expected to help 16,000 medical professionals work to contain Covid-19.

To date, the UAE has provided over 1,323 metric tons of aid to 110 countries, supporting more than 1.3 million medical professionals throughout the pandemic.