Coronavirus: UAE sends aid to Mali, Niger and Sierra Leone

Abu Dhabi: The UAE sent aid planes to Sierra Leone, Niger and Mali on Sunday to bolster their efforts in curbing the spread of coronavirus.

Seven metric tonnes of aid were sent to Sierra Leona to help 7,000 medical professionals, while a further six metric tonnes was sent to both Niger and Mali each, to help 6,000 medical professionals in both of those countries.

Omar Al Meheiri, Charge d’Affaires of the UAE Embassy in Senegal, said, “The UAE is committed to assisting its partners throughout Africa in their relentless fight against COVID-19. Today’s provision of aid will boost medical professionals’ ability to combat this virus with the necessary protection and equipment to ensure their safety.”

Amer Al Menhali, Charge d’Affaires of the UAE Embassy in Chad, said, “Aid to Niger comes as part of the UAE’s efforts to ensure that medical professionals throughout Africa, especially those in the Sahel region, have access to the necessary personal protective equipment to enable their critical work on the frontlines of fighting COVID-19.”

Yousef Saif Al Ali, UAE Ambassador to Algeria and Non-Resident Ambassador to Mali, said, “Mali is an important partner to the UAE in efforts to strengthen the fight against COVID-19 throughout Africa. Today’s delivery of medical aid to Mali will help protect medical workers who are leading the campaign against the virus’ spread.”

“The UAE stands with Mali in this difficult moment and is confident that the world can overcome this crisis through cooperation on all fronts,” Al Ali added.

To date, the UAE has provided more than 479 metric tons of aid to over 44 countries, supporting nearly 479,000 medical professionals in the process.