UAE: MBRGI sends its first aid plane to Pakistan

Dubai, The Gulf Observer: Under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, the first aid plane took off 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 Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives’ (MBRGI) from IHC, will benefit 13,600 people directly affected by the floods in Pakistan.

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 Organisation (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 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.

Last week, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid 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.

For his part, 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 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.”