UAE begins operating air bridge to provide relief to flood victims in Pakistan

The Ministry of Defence - represented by the Joint Operations Command – has begun operating an air bridge to transport humanitarian aid provided by the UAE to Pakistan.

The relief aid includes shelter materials, humanitarian needs, food and medical parcels for those affected by torrential rains and floods, with the aim of contributing to supporting efforts to alleviate the suffering of the affected people.

The move follows the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to provide all forms of support to the friendly people of Pakistan due to the repercussions of the recent floods.

Hamad Obaid Ibrahim Salem Al Zaabi, UAE Ambassador to Pakistan, said that the first Emirati relief aid plane flew this morning to Pakistan, to be followed by a number of other aid planes over the coming days to provide the required support.

He added that the move highlights the strength of relations between the two countries and that the UAE has contributed over the past years to alleviating the severity of many humanitarian crises that Pakistan witnessed, especially those related to natural disasters.

Al Zaabi stressed that the Emirati humanitarian support extends to provide a helping hand to all affected communities around the world, based on the global humanitarian role of the UAE, whose principles were laid down by the Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.