Dubai: An aircraft carrying more than 100 tonnes of relief supplies has been dispatched by the UAE to Entebbe, Uganda to provide assistance to refugees from South Sudan.
The relief has been sent under the directives of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
The relief aid aims to help alleviate the suffering of more than 60,000 refugees who have fled the ongoing conflict in South Sudan for Uganda, a statement from the Dubai Media Office said on Saturday.
Princess Haya Bint Al Hussain, wife of Shaikh Mohammad and chairperson of the International Humanitarian City (IHC), said the UAE continues to play a leading role in providing humanitarian support for people suffering from crises, following the example set by the late Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and under the directives of President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Shaikh Mohammad. Princess Haya added that the UAE remains at the forefront of global aid efforts to ease the hardships of crisis-affected people wherever they are regardless of religion or ethnicity.
In partnership with various international aid bodies and relief organisations, the International Humanitarian City acted swiftly on the directives of Shaikh Mohammad to send relief supplies to Uganda. The aid supplies will be transported from Entebbe to the border zone in coordination with Ugandan authorities.
According to United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) figures, more than 373,000 refugees (180,000 in 2016) have fled the conflict in South Sudan for Uganda. In the past week alone, 25,000 refugees have reached Uganda.