Abu Dhabi: The UAE will set up an air bridge to Hodeidah, Yemen, that consists of 10 ships and three planes carrying thousands of tonnes of aid.
The ships that will be dispatched by the Emirates Red Crescent (ERC) will be loaded with 13,500 tonnes of foodstuffs, and three flights will carry 10,436 food packages for the people of Yemen.
Coalition forces take control of Hodeidah Airport
The bridge was set up as per the orders of President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Shaikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative in Al Dhafra Region and chairman of ERC.
The humanitarian aid will be distributed in liberated areas of Hodeidah Governorate.
The first ship will carry 500 tonnes of rice and flour, while the remaining nine ships will be loaded with miscellaneous food items. The ERC dispatched on Friday morning a ship carrying 10,000 tonnes of wheat, which is expected to arrive by June 22 to meet the needs of 800,000 people for two weeks, among them 480,000 children and 160,000 women. On June 10, a ship was dispatched, carrying 500 tonnes of food aid that will benefit 12,000 people. It is expected to reach on June 22. A third ship also left Abu Dhabi on Thursday loaded with 1,000 tonnes of food aid for 24,000 people. It will arrive in Yemen on June 23.
On June 10, the ERC also dispatched an aid ship with 65,000 food baskets that have already arrived in Yemen. A single basket can meet the needs of a single family for a month, with the total number of beneficiaries reaching 455,000 people, among them 273,000 children and 91,000 women.
In a statement on the occasion, Shaikh Hamdan reaffirmed the UAE’s commitment to its humanitarian responsibility towards the people of Yemen. He added that the UAE will spare no effort to limit the repercussions of current events on the lives of Yemenis. Shaikh Hamdan pointed out that the current situation in the country is a big challenge that require providing more aid and assistance, and concerted humanitarian efforts to alleviate the suffering of those affected.
