Second UAE plane to Haiti carrying relief materials takes off

Abu Dhabi: A second relief plane left here on Thursday evening as part of the UAE Red Crescent Authority's air bridge ordered by President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan for delivering urgent humanitarian assistance to quake-victims in Haiti.

The aid plane carried 100 tonnes of basic supplies, including tents and blankets for Haitians who lost their homes as result of the earthquake that rocked Haiti, killing and wounding more than 200,000 people.

The plane also carried large quantities of medical aid and equipment to boost field operations for treating the injured.

On the other hand, the UAE Red Crescent team in the Dominican is stepping up coordination through the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), international relief organisations and the Haiti Red Cross to improve living conditions of refugees and affected population.

The first relief flights carrying 77 tonnes of food aid and medical supplies for the victims of the Haiti earthquake left the UAE earlier on Wednesday.

A delegation from the Khalifa Bin Zayed Foundation earlier left for the Dominican Republic, to supervise and coordinate delivery of the aid with the government there.

Carlos Morales Troncoso, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Dominican Republic, discussed mechanisms for delivering the aid and humanitarian relief with officials.

He stressed his country's readiness to receive any assistance from friendly countries and the delivery of aid to affected people in neighboring Haiti, particularly if the airport at the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince cannot receive the aid that has begun flowing in from all over the world.