UAE sends urgent aid to devastated Beirut

ABU DHABI - Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, sent Wednesday urgent humanitarian assistance to help those affected by the massive explosion that shook the Lebanese capital.

The blast centred on the city's port caused massive destruction and killed more than 100 people, heaping misery on a country already in crisis.

Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler's Representative in Al Dhafra Region and Chairman of the Emirates Red Crescent, ERC, will monitor the delivery of this assistance which includes 30 tonnes of medicines and medical equipment, dietary supplements for children in addition to other essential supplies.

Sheikh Mohamed tweeted that “our thoughts and prayers are with our Lebanese brothers and sisters during these trying times.”

“We pray that God grants you patience and solace. God bless Lebanon and the Lebanese people,” he added.

The ERC is ready to implement the directives of the leadership, secure assistance and send them quickly to Beirut via an aid aircraft that will depart at a later time.

The ERC said the aircraft will carry the first batch of humanitarian assistance to those affected in Lebanon.

The ERC affirmed that the directives of the leadership embody their interest in the repercussions of the humanitarian disaster that befell the brothers in Lebanon yesterday, and their solidarity with the victims and the injured.

It said the focus will be on medical supplies to help Lebanese health facilities that can provide the necessary care to the injured and help them play their role in exceptional circumstances, in light of a large number of the dead and wounded. He pointed out that the scale of the disaster has weighed heavily on medical services in Lebanon, therefore, it must be supported, and the obstacles and challenges facing them must be overcome.

The ERC indicated that it is coordinating with the Humanitarian Aid Office at the UAE Embassy in Beirut, to determine the priorities in the current phase of aid, and the actual needs of the Lebanese, especially in the health field. It stressed that it will continue to monitor the evolving developments of the humanitarian situation there, and will work to alleviate its impact on the brothers in Lebanon.