Watch: First relief aid plane takes off from Dubai to flood-hit Pakistan
Nine more flights to follow in air bridge established under directives of Vice President
Dubai: Under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the first aid plane took off on Monday from Dubai’s International Humanitarian City (IHC) warehouses, heading towards Pakistan and carrying urgent aid and humanitarian relief items to victims of the deadly floods that drowned a third of Pakistan, affecting millions of people and destroying large plots of agricultural land.
The first batch constituted three plane trips to Karachi carrying 33 tonnes of humanitarian relief, as well as shelter items from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) stockpiles in Dubai, aboard C130 military planes. The first batch of the humanitarian airbridge, organised by MBRGI from IHC, will benefit 13,600 people directly affected by the floods in Pakistan.
More flights
Over the next week, nine additional flight rotations are planned to dispatch further relief items on behalf of IHC partners, including the UN World Food Programme (WFP), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). IHC is coordinating humanitarian relief efforts on behalf of partners and stakeholders under the umbrella of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI) to alleviate the suffering of thousands.
The aid will provide basic medical and health supplies that mitigate the spread of diseases caused by stagnant water gatherings in flooded areas, living supplies such as personal hygiene tools to facilitate the lives of displaced people living in shelters, and food aid for individuals and families most affected by the crisis.
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Urgent relief
Last week, Sheikh Mohammed directed to transport urgent aid to Pakistan after heavy monsoon rains triggered ravaging floods. IHC mobilised its task force to respond to the emergency in cooperation with key partners.
Khaled Khalifa, Senior Advisor to the High Commissioner and UNHCR’s Regional Representative to the GCC, said: “UNHCR, in coordination with the Pakistani National Disaster Management Committee, is providing emergency relief assistance to those affected by the floods in Pakistan. We sincerely thank His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Dubai government, and the UAE for their long-standing support in transporting relief materials from UNHCR global stockpiles in IHC to the affected and most vulnerable people.”