UAE flies medical aid to African countries in fight against coronavirus spread

The aid plane to Sierra Leone carried seven metric tons of medical supplies. (WAM)

• The UAE sent a medical aid plane to Niger and another to Mali that contain six metric tons of medical supplies
• A Kuwaiti military aircraft shipped out medical supplies from China

DUBAI: The UAE sent aid planes to Sierra Leone, Niger and Mali on Sunday to help countries  fight the coronavirus outbreak in the region.
The aid included seven tons of medical supplies for about 7,000 medical professionals working in Sierra Leone,, state news agency WAM reported.
"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," Charge d'Affaires of the UAE Embassy in Senegal Omar Al-Meheiri said.
The UAE also sent  aid to Niger and Mali that c including six metric tons of medical supplies to help 6,000 professionals in each country.
"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," Charge d'Affaires of the UAE Embassy in Chad Amer Al-Menhali 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," UAE Ambassador to Algeria and Non-Resident Ambassador to Mali Yousef Saif Al-Ali said.
So far the UAE has sent more than 479 tons of aid to more than 44 countries, benefitting nearly 479,000 medical professionals.
Meanwhile, a Kuwaiti military aircraft flew medical supplies from China to support the country’s fight against the pandemic, state news agency KUNA reported.
Kuwait’s Ambassador to China Sameeh Hayat said today’s aid plane was the 10th and that each shipment carries about 50 to 55 tons of medical supplies. He added that this trip came as part of a series of efforts done by the Ministry of Defense in coordination with the health ministry.